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Minnesota · County tornado history

Otter Tail County, Minnesota tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 87 tornadoes in Otter Tail County, Minnesota from 1950 through 2024, about 1.2 a year. That ranks it 1 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
87
Since 2000
60
Strongest
EF4, July 8, 2020
Most recent
EF1, May 30, 2022
Peak month
June (28)
Per 1,000 sq mi
39
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Otter Tail County

June has brought the most, 28 of 87. About 71% 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) 33
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 35
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 15
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
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 Otter Tail County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 17, 2010 EF4 39.6 mi 2,288 yd 1 5
July 8, 2020 EF4 8.9 mi 650 yd 1 2
June 17, 2010 EF4 10 mi 1,936 yd 20
June 13, 2001 F3 12 mi 100 yd 3
August 15, 1987 F2 1 mi 50 yd 1 8
May 5, 1964 F2 0.1 mi 880 yd 13
August 26, 1977 F2 110.4 mi 880 yd 10
October 26, 1996 F2 17 mi 75 yd 1
July 7, 1959 F2 2.5 mi 100 yd
August 25, 1960 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Otter Tail County was an EF4 on June 17, 2010. It killed 1 person and injured 5 along its 39.6-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 30, 2022 EF1 5.4 mi 300 yd
May 30, 2022 EF1 4.5 mi 200 yd
May 12, 2022 EF0 0.9 mi 50 yd
May 12, 2022 EF1 3.6 mi 100 yd
June 11, 2021 EF0 0.1 mi 10 yd
July 8, 2020 EF0 0.2 mi 20 yd
July 8, 2020 EF4 8.9 mi 650 yd 1 2
July 8, 2020 EF2 2 mi 300 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 Otter Tail County as relatively moderate, with a score of 84 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.31 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $4,581,346 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 Otter Tail County had?

87 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 60 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County?

An EF4 on July 8, 2020, with a 8.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Otter Tail County?

June 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.