Tornado and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 13, 1974

Name: Tornado and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, July 13, 1974
Start: 1974-07-13T12:40
End: 1974-07-13T17:40
Location: Minnesota

July 13, 1974 · 12 events in 9 counties and zones

11 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $250,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

11 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Norman

When: July 13, 12:40 PM CST
Where: Norman County
Coordinates: 47.380, -96.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Becker

When: July 13, 1:20 PM CST
Where: Becker County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates: 46.820, -95.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When: July 13, 2:15 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County
Coordinates: 46.570, -96.080

Tornado, Otter Tail

When: July 13, 2:23 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County
Rating: F2
Path length: 6.4 mi
Path width: 500 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 46.320, -96.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When: July 13, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County
Measured: 82 kt (94 mph)
Coordinates: 46.620, -95.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Otter Tail

When: July 13, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Otter Tail County
Coordinates: 46.600, -95.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Wadena

When: July 13, 3:55 PM CST
Where: Wadena County
Coordinates: 46.450, -95.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Crow Wing

When: July 13, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Crow Wing County
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 46.400, -94.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Aitkin

When: July 13, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Aitkin County
Coordinates: 46.470, -93.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Carlton

When: July 13, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Carlton County
Coordinates: 46.500, -92.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Cass

When: July 13, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Cass County
Coordinates: 46.750, -94.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Chippewa

When: July 13, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Chippewa County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 44.970, -95.700

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 1974 Every state in 1974 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Minnesota, 1974

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10054687, 10054688, 10054689, 10054690, 10054691, 10054692, 10054693, 10054694, 10054695, 10054696, 10054697, 10054698.