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Minnesota · County tornado history

Mille Lacs County, Minnesota tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 16 tornadoes in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota from 1950 through 2024, about one every 4.7 years. That ranks it 69 of 87 counties in Minnesota with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on August 26, 2019.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
16
Since 2000
4
Strongest
F3, September 18, 1997
Most recent
EF1, August 26, 2019
Peak month
July (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
23
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 Mille Lacs County

July has brought the most, 8 of 16. About 69% touched down between 2 pm and 8 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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 6
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Mille Lacs County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
September 18, 1997 F3 17 mi 800 yd 1 1
July 8, 1959 F2 0.5 mi 300 yd
July 3, 1985 F2 33 mi 200 yd
July 21, 1995 F2 10 mi 100 yd
September 16, 1955 F1 10.4 mi 10 yd 1
June 4, 1974 F1 1.9 mi 250 yd 1
July 18, 1971 F1 1.9 mi 30 yd
June 20, 1986 F1 0.2 mi 20 yd
September 18, 1997 F1 2 mi 500 yd
August 26, 2019 EF1 2.3 mi 50 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Mille Lacs County was an F3 on September 18, 1997. It killed 1 person and injured 1 along its 17-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 26, 2019 EF1 2.3 mi 50 yd
August 26, 2019 EF0 3 mi 50 yd
July 30, 2011 EF0 5.2 mi 100 yd
July 25, 2000 F0 0.2 mi 30 yd
June 25, 1998 F0 6 mi 30 yd
September 18, 1997 F1 2 mi 500 yd
September 18, 1997 F3 17 mi 800 yd 1 1
July 21, 1995 F2 10 mi 100 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 Mille Lacs County as relatively low, with a score of 31 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.28 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $644,640 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 Mille Lacs County had?

16 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 4 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Mille Lacs County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on August 26, 2019. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Mille Lacs County?

An F3 on September 18, 1997, with a 17-mile path.

When is tornado season in Mille Lacs County?

July 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.