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Minnesota · County tornado history

St. Louis County, Minnesota tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 39 tornadoes in St. Louis County, Minnesota from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.9 years. That ranks it 15 of 87 counties in Minnesota with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on September 19, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
39
Since 2000
9
Strongest
F3, August 6, 1969
Most recent
EF1, September 19, 2024
Peak month
August (13)
Per 1,000 sq mi
6
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 St. Louis County

August has brought the most, 13 of 39. About 82% 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) 17
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 13
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
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 St. Louis County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 6, 1969 F3 17.2 mi 117 yd 2 3
August 6, 1969 F3 18.4 mi 2,933 yd 20
August 6, 1969 F3 10 mi 300 yd 9
August 6, 1969 F3 7.2 mi 220 yd
August 6, 1969 F3 3.8 mi 250 yd
September 6, 1959 F2 30.3 mi 1,760 yd
August 6, 1969 F2 0.1 mi 150 yd
August 6, 1969 F2 0.1 mi 150 yd
August 6, 1969 F2 1.9 mi 193 yd
July 1, 1958 F1 2 mi 10 yd 1 2

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch St. Louis County was an F3 on August 6, 1969. It killed 2 people and injured 3 along its 17.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
September 19, 2024 EF1 5.9 mi 200 yd
July 7, 2024 EF0 1.9 mi 30 yd
May 18, 2022 EF0 3.1 mi 50 yd
July 17, 2019 EF0 5.7 mi 500 yd
July 17, 2019 EF1 5.7 mi 420 yd
July 17, 2019 EF1 3.4 mi 600 yd
June 19, 2016 EF1 7.2 mi 250 yd
August 9, 2012 EF0 0.2 mi 13 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 St. Louis County as relatively low, with a score of 65 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.39 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,229,793 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 St. Louis County had?

39 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 9 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in St. Louis County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on September 19, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in St. Louis County?

An F3 on August 6, 1969, with a 10-mile path.

When is tornado season in St. Louis 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.