Morrison County, Minnesota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27097 · population 34,007 · 1,125 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 528 records for Morrison County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 340 days; the most frequent are hail reports (173 records). The deadliest single record is the September 18, 1997 tornado: 1 death, 1 injury and $3.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1965, 12 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on July 19, 2023.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 528on 340 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 126 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $42Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 2023
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Morrison County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 173 since 1962. 53% of its hail reports since 1962 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Minnesota's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 173 | 108 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.7M | 70 of 87 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 145 | 96 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 65 of 87 |
| Winter storms | 96 | 96 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 87 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 34 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 of 87 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 23 | 1954-2024 | 1 | 1 | $10M | 62 of 87 |
| Floods | 20 | 20 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 61 of 87 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 9 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 87 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 7 | 2005-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 87 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 1999-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 87 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 1996-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 78 of 87 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 25 | – | 70 of 87 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Morrison County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Morrison County from 1954 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 1 injury recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 29 tornadoes whose track touched Morrison County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-18 17:15, as SPC files it | Onamia | F3 | 17 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.
Every tornado record filed for Morrison County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-29 | Genola, Morrison County | EF1 7.46 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-12 | Cushing, Morrison County | EF1 3.59 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $756K |
| 2022-05-12 | Cushing, Morrison County | EF0 2.87 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-08-14 | Hillman, Morrison County | EF0 2.94 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-08-14 | Bowlus, Morrison County | EF0 1.31 mi x 65 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-08-14 | Camp Ripley Jct, Morrison County | EF0 5.65 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $57K |
| 2020-08-14 | Lincoln, Morrison County | EF0 0.77 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-09-07 | Darling, Morrison County | EF1 7.28 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2014-08-24 | Ramey, Morrison County | EF0 1.43 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-07-17 | Little Rock, Morrison County | EF0 1.36 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2004-10-29 | Buckman, Morrison County | F0 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-07-19 | Flensburg, Morrison County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-07-19 | Swanville, Morrison County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-13 | Flensburg, Morrison County | F2 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $333K |
| 1999-07-25 | Little Falls, Morrison County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-09-18 | Royalton, Morrison County | F2 8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-09-18 | Lastrup, Morrison County | F3 9 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 1 | $3.1M |
| 1997-09-18 | Camp Ripley Jct, Morrison County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-14 | Long Prairie, Morrison County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-06-16 | Morrison County | F1 0.2 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-28 | Morrison County | F1 0.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1981-03-25 | Morrison County | F2 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-08-14 | Morrison County | F1 2 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-07-21 | Morrison County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-07-22 | Morrison County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-07-10 | Morrison County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-08-03 | Morrison County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-07-23 | Morrison County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-06-30 | Morrison County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-07-06 | Morrison County | F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Morrison County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2022 flash flood ($1.5 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Nearly 30 homes were evacuated in the town of Randall due to flood waters spilling over the banks of the Little Elk River. Numerous roads and bridges were also damaged. The heaviest rainfall occurred before 4 am, but flood waters developed during the morning. Damage totals were provided by Morrison County Emergency Management.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1031211)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | HailHillman, Morrison County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | HailHillman, Morrison County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | HailMotley, Morrison County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Funnel CloudSobieski, Morrison County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-03 | Winter StormMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter WeatherMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-06 | Winter WeatherMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-24 | Winter WeatherMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter WeatherMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-25 | Winter WeatherMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-18 | TornadoLastrup, Morrison County Several buildings destroyed and numerous other buildings damaged. Hundreds of trees down. A number of cattle killed in barn collapse. One man injured when the tornado engulfed his car and threw it into a nearby woods. A second man critically injured when his garage collapsed. He died several weeks later.Total path ... | F3 9 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 1 | $3.1M |
| 2001-07-17 | LightningCamp Ripley, Morrison County One U. S. Marine Reservist was critically injured, but survived and was released the next afernoon. Twenty four others were treated and released within hours of the strike. | 0 | 25 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-06-23 | FloodMorrison County · forecast zone Morrison | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2003-07-19 | HailRandall, Morrison County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $9.6M |
| 2001-04-07 | Flash FloodCountywide, Morrison County | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | |
| 1997-09-18 | TornadoLastrup, Morrison County | F3 9 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 1 | $3.1M |
| 2001-04-22 | Flash FloodCountywide, Morrison County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 2022-06-23 | Flash FloodRandall, Morrison County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2016-09-07 | TornadoDarling, Morrison County | EF1 7.28 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2022-05-12 | TornadoCushing, Morrison County | EF1 3.59 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $756K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 10, 1966 (tornado, Morrison County); August 14, 1978 (tornado, Morrison County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Morrison County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 41 | 57 | 33 | 24 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 43 | 29 | 22 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 17 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its hail reports since 1962 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 26 · Feb 28 · Mar 34 · Apr 29 · May 37 · Jun 91 · Jul 127 · Aug 66 · Sep 37 · Oct 13 · Nov 10 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Morrison County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Morrison County: 10 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for flood (7) and severe storm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-19 | DR-4722 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2022-07-08 | DR-4658 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-07 | DR-4531 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3453 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-07-25 | DR-4131 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3242 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1370 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2000-10-20 | FM-2345 | Fire | Mn - Carlos Edge Fire Complex - 10/19/2000 |
| 1997-04-08 | DR-1175 | Flood | Severe Flooding, High Winds,Severe Storms |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3013 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-08-01 | DR-347 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-04-18 | DR-255 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1966-03-22 | DR-215 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1965-04-11 | DR-188 | Flood | Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Morrison County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 20 flood or flash flood records for Morrison County from 1997 to 2023, on 20 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Morrison County ranks 1660th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $613,000 on 50 claims filed in Morrison County; the most in one year was 12 in 2020. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 3 · 1990: 1 · 2001: 6 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 9 · 2020: 12 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Morrison County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Morrison County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $29.6 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.2M | 32 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $23M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $826K | 4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $383K | once in about 790 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.6M | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $305K | 9.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Morrison County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MinnesotaEvery Minnesota tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Hail in MinnesotaThe state's hail reports, by county, year and month
- The Minnesota recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Morrison CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Morrison County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis