Renville County, Minnesota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27129 · population 14,723 · 983 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 639 records for Renville County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 424 days; the most frequent are hail reports (187 records). The deadliest single record is the July 3, 2018 flood: 1 death and $441,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1965, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on June 28, 2024.
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
- 639on 424 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 16 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $53Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 2024
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 Renville County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 187 since 1957. 54% of its hail reports since 1957 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 | 187 | 115 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 50 of 87 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 163 | 105 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 1 | $20M | 52 of 87 |
| Winter storms | 136 | 136 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 of 87 |
| Extreme cold | 39 | 38 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 of 87 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 17 | 1963-2024 | 0 | 5 | $28M | 70 of 87 |
| Floods | 27 | 23 | 1997-2025 | 1 | 0 | $3.5M | 53 of 87 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 8 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 87 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 14 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 63 of 87 |
| Heat | 13 | 13 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 87 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 9 | 2000-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 87 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | $615K | 66 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 Renville County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Renville County from 1963 to 2024, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries 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 30 tornadoes whose track touched Renville County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.
Every tornado record filed for Renville County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-02 | Sacred Heart, Renville County | EF0 0.31 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-06 | Renville County | EFU 0.79 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-06 | Minnesota Falls, Renville County | EF0 1.62 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2023-05-06 | Renville County | EFU 1.01 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-09 | Danube, Renville County | EF0 0.33 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-07-01 | Danube, Renville County | EF1 2.44 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $328K |
| 2011-07-01 | Bechyn, Renville County | EF1 1.35 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2003-06-24 | Buffalo Lake, Renville County | F0 2.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-24 | Buffalo Lake, Renville County | F1 4.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $802K |
| 2003-06-24 | Churchill, Renville County | F0 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-24 | Buffalo Lake, Renville County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $802K |
| 2003-06-24 | Buffalo Lake, Renville County | F2 2 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 5 | $22M |
| 1998-06-18 | Olivia, Renville County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 1998-06-18 | Danube, Renville County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-07-01 | Olivia, Renville County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-18 | Buffalo Lake, Renville County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-18 | Bird Island, Renville County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-21 | Stewart, Renville County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-08-07 | Fairfax, Renville County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-08-07 | Renville County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-16 | Renville County | F2 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-16 | Renville County | F2 2.5 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-16 | Renville County | F2 3 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-16 | Renville County | F2 5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-04-21 | Renville County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-08-05 | Renville County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1981-06-23 | Renville County | F2 6.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-05-28 | Renville County | F0 0.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1967-06-26 | Renville County | F0 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1963-10-21 | Renville 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 Renville County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 11, 2023 hail ($97,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Baseball size hail hit the Oakdale golf course, denting cars, shattering windows, and causing hundreds of pits in the greens.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1134249)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | HailFairfax, Renville County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter WeatherRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter StormRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-28 | Winter WeatherRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-24 | Winter WeatherRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | BlizzardRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | Winter WeatherRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-16 | Winter WeatherRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | BlizzardRenville County · forecast zone Renville | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-03 | FloodFranklin, Renville County Flood waters slowly receded from excessive rainfall that occurred Tuesday morning. Numerous roads were impacted by the flood waters, especially south of Highway 212. An individual was found in a water-swollen drainage ditch, two days after his car was discovered submerged a mile upstream. | 1 | 0 | $441K | |
| 2003-06-24 | TornadoBuffalo Lake, Renville County This third tornado entered Renville County at 1845 CST and entered the city of Buffalo Lake, where damage was significant. Five people sustained minor injuries. Roofs were blown off the Lutheran Church, as well as a number of homes and businesses. Sheds and garages were blown down, a grain elevator was destroyed, and ... | F2 2 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 5 | $22M |
| 2003-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindBird Island, Renville County A children's playhouse was lifted and blown some distance, where it landed on a truck being driven along Highway 212. One man was slightly injured when some of the smashed glass landed in his eye. | 60 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-06-24 | TornadoBuffalo Lake, Renville County | F2 2 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 5 | $22M |
| 2003-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindChurchill, Renville County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $16M |
| 2011-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindBechyn, Renville County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3.3M |
| 1998-06-18 | TornadoOlivia, Renville County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2020-07-11 | HailBird Island, Renville County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2014-06-18 | FloodFairfax, Renville County | 0 | 0 | $935K | |
| 2003-06-24 | TornadoBuffalo Lake, Renville County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $802K |
| 2016-07-23 | LightningSacred Heart, Renville County | 0 | 0 | $615K |
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: June 23, 1981 (tornado, Renville County); August 5, 1981 (tornado, Renville 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 Renville 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 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 42 | 53 | 42 | 28 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 34 | 36 | 34 | 30 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 31 | 46 | 41 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 16 | 14 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 6 | 13 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 50 · Feb 38 · Mar 35 · Apr 42 · May 58 · Jun 134 · Jul 115 · Aug 69 · Sep 28 · Oct 15 · Nov 16 · Dec 39 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Renville County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Renville County: 18 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (12) and severe storm (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-28 | DR-4797 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2023-07-19 | DR-4722 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2022-08-09 | DR-4666 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, 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 |
| 2019-06-12 | DR-4442 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2018-09-05 | DR-4390 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2014-07-21 | DR-4182 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2011-07-28 | DR-4009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2011-05-10 | DR-1982 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-04-19 | DR-1900 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-03-19 | EM-3310 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3242 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1370 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1997-04-08 | DR-1175 | Flood | Severe Flooding, High Winds,Severe Storms |
| 1997-01-16 | DR-1158 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1993-06-11 | DR-993 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1992-06-26 | DR-946 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3013 | Drought | Drought |
| 1969-04-18 | DR-255 | 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 Renville County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Renville County from 1997 to 2025, on 23 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Renville County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $70,000 on 6 claims filed in Renville County; the most in one year was 2 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1997: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2022: 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 Renville County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Renville County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $878K | 8.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $189K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $727K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $528K | 4.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.3M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $82K | 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 Renville 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 Renville CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Renville County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis