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Minnesota · County tornado history

Hennepin County, Minnesota tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 33 tornadoes in Hennepin County, Minnesota from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.3 years. That ranks it 25 of 87 counties in Minnesota with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on August 14, 2020.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
33
Since 2000
12
Strongest
F4, May 6, 1965
Most recent
EF0, August 14, 2020
Peak month
May (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
54
FEMA tornado risk
Very High

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 Hennepin County

May has brought the most, 9 of 33. About 70% 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) 11
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 9
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 4
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 Hennepin County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 6, 1965 F4 17.3 mi 667 yd 6 158
May 6, 1965 F4 12.3 mi 300 yd 3 175
June 19, 1951 F4 52.6 mi 330 yd 1 20
May 6, 1965 F4 6.9 mi 200 yd
July 20, 1951 F3 11.6 mi 10 yd 5 40
June 14, 1981 F3 16.2 mi 600 yd 1 83
April 26, 1984 F3 5.5 mi 60 yd 1 52
July 23, 1987 F3 5 mi 170 yd
September 16, 2006 F2 8 mi 100 yd 1
June 24, 1952 F2 70.9 mi 267 yd 15

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Hennepin County was an F4 on May 6, 1965. It killed 6 people and injured 158 along its 17.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 14, 2020 EF0 0.4 mi 50 yd
August 14, 2020 EF0 0.4 mi 65 yd
September 2, 2019 EF1 3.9 mi 210 yd
May 22, 2011 EF1 13.6 mi 880 yd 1 48
May 21, 2011 EF0 0.2 mi 25 yd
August 19, 2009 EF0 4.2 mi 500 yd
August 8, 2009 EF1 9.1 mi 200 yd
September 16, 2006 F2 8 mi 100 yd 1

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 Hennepin County as very high, with a score of 100 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.46 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $82,990,111 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 Hennepin County had?

33 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Hennepin County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on August 14, 2020. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Hennepin County?

An F4 on May 6, 1965, with a 12.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Hennepin County?

May 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.