Minnesota severe thunderstorm wind
Every recorded severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955 · 87 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 13,697 severe thunderstorm wind events in Minnesota from 1955 through June 30, 2026, about 355 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the July 21, 2016 thunderstorm wind: 2 deaths and 2 injuries across 32 records. Minnesota ranks 21st of 52 states and territories by count and 33rd of 51 per square mile.
Severe thunderstorm wind in Minnesota, 1955 to 2026
Thunderstorm wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: all 48 event types recorded from 1996
- Records
- 13,6971955 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 355average
- Deaths
- 22158 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.7Bas filed
- Busiest year
- 2022807 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events common in Minnesota?
Minnesota averages about 355 severe thunderstorm wind events a year since 2000, 21st of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2022 (807). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Minnesota records 1720 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955, 33rd of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1955, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Minnesota have the most severe thunderstorm wind events?
Per square mile, Ramsey County leads Minnesota: 108 days with a severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955, 709.3 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, St. Louis County has the most thunderstorm wind records (647 since 1955); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1955 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the severe thunderstorm season in Minnesota?
60% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (4,339 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 40 · Apr 363 · May 1,593 · Jun 3,924 · Jul 4,339 · Aug 2,366 · Sep 850 · Oct 128 · Nov 11 · Dec 83 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1955.
What were the deadliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Minnesota?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindForest Center, Lake County One storm episode: 32 records in 7 places; the totals are the episode's. A cluster of thunderstorms developed over eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota the evening of Wednesday July 20th. The outflow from the storms coalesced into a couple of main bow echoes that quickly sped across northeast and central Minnesota during the wee hours of the morning of Thursday July 21st. The ... | 61 kt wind | 2 | 2 | – |
| 2009-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindBlackduck, Beltrami County A boat with four occupants aboard overturned on Blackduck Lake, due to a combination of factors. The lake was rough at the time, but weather was not the main issue. However, thunderstorm winds did hamper rescue efforts following the accident. Two of the occupants were rescued but two others drowned. | 43 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $7K |
| 1984-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindYellow Medicine County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (2, in 2 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 1 | 6 | – | |
| 2005-09-21 | Hurricane Katrina · Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Hennepin County One named storm filed by several offices: 5 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. A large storm swept across most of northern Hennepin County, accompanied by large hail and a brief tornado. An NWS damage survey, spotter reports, video, and radar imagery indicate the storm had a very strong rear flank downdraft which was reported to have been sustained as long as 10 minutes in some locations. The ... | 70 kt wind | 1 | 4 | $370M |
| 2016-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindMarais, Cook County One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Tornadic thunderstorms formed in a very unstable airmass ahead of a cold front that moved through the area during the evening. Storms developed around 5 pm, and moved rapidly east, affecting much of northeast Minnesota and parts of northwest Wisconsin. Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds occurred across parts of ... | 61 kt wind | 1 | 3 | – |
| 2022-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindHolmes City, Douglas County A tree fell on a camper, and unfortunately one of the two individuals inside the camper was killed. The other individual was injured and hospitalized. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $25K |
| 2021-09-17 | Thunderstorm WindMankato, Blue Earth County One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A line of thunderstorms that originally developed across South Dakota Thursday evening, September 16th, quickly moved eastward over southern Minnesota after midnight. A series of surges along this line caused localized severe wind gusts that produced numerous downed trees and power lines across southern Minnesota. One ... | 45 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $545K |
| 2003-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindIsabella, Lake County A large tree fell on the tent of a couple who were camping at Jackfish Bay of Basswood Lake. The woman was killed while her 42 year old fiance was knocked unconscious. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2016-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindRed Wing, Goodhue County One storm episode: 4 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. An outflow boundary from previous morning thunderstorms across western Minnesota, ignited a broken line of severe thunderstorms southwest of New Ulm, to northwest of Mankato, Friday afternoon, June 10th. Clusters of storms moved east-northeast toward St. Peter, Faribault, Northfield and Red Wing, and produced numerous ... | 56 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $615K |
| 2015-05-03 | Thunderstorm WindGoodview, Winona County The driver of a pickup truck was killed in Goodview when sub-severe thunderstorms winds uprooted a tree from the side of a bluff. The tree fell into the roadway and landed on the truck the man was driving. | 40 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $12K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Minnesota
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindBurnsville, Dakota County One storm episode: 30 records in 11 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 22 | $395M | |
| 1998-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindSavage, Scott County One storm episode: 14 records in 12 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 1 | $386M | |
| 2005-09-21 | Hurricane Katrina · Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Hennepin County One named storm filed by several offices: 5 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. | 70 kt wind | 1 | 4 | $370M |
| 1995-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindPortions Of West Cen Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (3, in 3 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 0 | 6 | $60M | |
| 2001-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindSunburg, Kandiyohi County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 103 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $57M |
| 1998-07-20 | Thunderstorm WindNicollet County One storm episode: 15 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $42M | |
| 1997-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindMonticello, Wright County One storm episode: 25 records in 10 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 2 | $39M | |
| 1996-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindOak Center, Wabasha County | 0 | 0 | $23M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events becoming more frequent in Minnesota?
Minnesota's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Minnesota | United States | Minnesota's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-59 | 84 | 3,482 | 2.4% |
| 1960s | 290 | 10,124 | 2.9% |
| 1970s | 674 | 18,714 | 3.6% |
| 1980s | 1,120 | 39,604 | 2.8% |
| 1990s | 2,147 | 85,554 | 2.5% |
| 2000s | 3,050 | 129,990 | 2.3% |
| 2010s | 3,702 | 161,286 | 2.3% |
| 2020-26 | 2,630 | 126,815 | 2.1% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent severe thunderstorm wind events in Minnesota
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSt Michael, St. Louis County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindIsland Lake, St. Louis County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSt James Airport, Watonwan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindWelcome, Martin County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSt James, Watonwan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindMountain Lake, Cottonwood County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindMountain Lake, Cottonwood County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindBingham Lake, Cottonwood County | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindMountain Lake, Cottonwood County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSwastika Beach, Jackson County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindBergen, Jackson County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindLakefield, Jackson County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for severe thunderstorm wind events in Minnesota
FEMA files hail and wind disasters under the incident type Severe Storm: 26 declarations in Minnesota, 25 of them major disasters; the latest on August 9, 2022.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-08-09 | DR-4666 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 23 |
| 2022-07-08 | DR-4658 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 23 |
| 2013-07-25 | DR-4131 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 18 |
| 2013-05-03 | DR-4113 | Severe Winter Storm | 5 |
| 2012-07-06 | DR-4069 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 18 |
| 2011-07-28 | DR-4009 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | 16 |
| 2011-06-07 | DR-1990 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 2 |
| 2010-10-13 | DR-1941 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 29 |
| 2009-04-09 | DR-1830 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 30 |
| 2009-03-26 | EM-3304 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 7 |
| 2008-06-25 | DR-1772 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 6 |
| 2007-08-23 | DR-1717 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 8 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Ramsey County: the county's whole recordThe Minnesota county with the most severe thunderstorm wind events per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in MinnesotaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Hail in Minnesota15,756 records
- Winter storms in Minnesota12,156 records
- Extreme cold in Minnesota4,238 records