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Minnesota · County tornado history

Polk County, Minnesota tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 79 tornadoes in Polk County, Minnesota from 1950 through 2024, about 1.1 a year. That ranks it 2 of 87 counties in Minnesota with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on June 24, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
79
Since 2000
47
Strongest
EF3, June 17, 2010
Most recent
EF-U, June 24, 2023
Peak month
June (29)
Per 1,000 sq mi
40
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 Polk County

June has brought the most, 29 of 79. About 73% 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) 41
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 23
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 12
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 2

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 Polk County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 17, 2010 EF3 15 mi 150 yd 1 2
July 5, 1978 F2 57.5 mi 400 yd 4 44
June 30, 1955 F2 0.1 mi 440 yd 8
July 13, 1977 F2 2 mi 120 yd 2
July 13, 1977 F2 1 mi 100 yd
July 13, 1977 F2 2.3 mi 100 yd
May 21, 2005 F2 0.3 mi 75 yd
June 23, 2005 F2 2 mi 200 yd
June 23, 2005 F2 1.5 mi 200 yd
August 26, 2007 EF2 5 mi 300 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Polk County was an F2 on July 5, 1978. It killed 4 people and injured 44 along its 57.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 24, 2023 EF-U 0.9 mi 10 yd
June 24, 2023 EF-U 0.5 mi 10 yd
June 24, 2023 EF0 1.5 mi 10 yd
April 23, 2022 EF0 0.3 mi 50 yd
August 9, 2021 EF0 2.2 mi 150 yd
August 9, 2021 EF1 3.6 mi 200 yd
June 8, 2019 EF2 3.6 mi 400 yd
August 26, 2018 EF1 25 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 Polk County as relatively low, with a score of 47 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.21 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,167,581 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 Polk County had?

79 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 47 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Polk County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on June 24, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Polk County?

An EF3 on June 17, 2010, with a 15-mile path.

When is tornado season in Polk 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.