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Minnesota · County tornado history

Cass County, Minnesota tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 30 tornadoes in Cass County, Minnesota from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.5 years. That ranks it 30 of 87 counties in Minnesota with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on May 30, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
30
Since 2000
10
Strongest
F4, August 6, 1969
Most recent
EF1, May 30, 2022
Peak month
August (10)
Per 1,000 sq mi
12
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Cass County

August has brought the most, 10 of 30. About 83% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 9
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 13
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Cass County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 6, 1969 F4 32.3 mi 833 yd 12 70
June 11, 1966 F4 72.8 mi 333 yd
August 26, 1977 F3 26.3 mi 400 yd 11
August 6, 1969 F3 17.3 mi 167 yd 4
July 5, 1991 F3 6 mi 43 yd 3
August 26, 1977 F2 110.4 mi 880 yd 10
July 5, 1991 F2 2.5 mi 13 yd
May 30, 2022 EF2 10.5 mi 450 yd
July 5, 1991 F1 0.3 mi 10 yd 1
July 22, 1976 F1 4.5 mi 50 yd 1

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Cass County was an F4 on August 6, 1969. It killed 12 people and injured 70 along its 32.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 30, 2022 EF1 4.3 mi 500 yd
May 30, 2022 EF2 10.5 mi 450 yd
August 3, 2017 EF0 0.1 mi 20 yd
August 3, 2017 EF0 0.2 mi 10 yd
August 3, 2017 EF0 0.3 mi 20 yd
June 19, 2016 EF0 2.3 mi 100 yd
August 29, 2013 EF1 12.9 mi 300 yd
June 17, 2010 EF0 14.8 mi 200 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Cass County as relatively low, with a score of 43 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.59 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $762,088 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Cass County had?

30 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 10 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Cass County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on May 30, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Cass County?

An F4 on August 6, 1969, with a 32.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Cass County?

August has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.