Minnesota, 2001

Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, May 9, 2001

May 9, 2001 · NWS MPX · 28 events in 11 counties and zones

14 hail, 11 tornado, 3 thunderstorm wind, 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$20 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
28

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 9, 2:00 PM CST, 3 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 2:00 PM CST, 3 hours 9 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
300 PM CDT WED MAY 9 2001

THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO BE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AND SEVERE
POTENTIAL.  MID AND HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE HAS RETARDED HEATING IN
CENTRAL AND ERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA.  A WARM FRONT EXTENDED ACROSS
SW MN AND APPEARS TO BE THE FOCUS FOR DEVELOPMENT.  HOWEVER A  CAP
EXISTS WITH VERY WARM 850 TEMPERATURES.  SHEAR AND INSTABILITY ARE
STILL IN PLACE TO FAVOR AT LEAST SEVERE STORMS.  WITH THE
APPROACHING SHORT WAVE TROF...NOW OVER ERN SD...THERE IS ENOUGH
GOING ON TO MENTION SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH A SEVERE POTENTIAL
FOR ANY DEVELOPMENT.

MODELS DIFFER ON ORGANIZATION OF THE FRONT AFTER IT MOVES THROUGH
THE AREA...BUT BOUNDARY SEEMS TO REMAIN IN VICINITY OF NRN IA AND
CENTRAL WI.  WITH COLD AIR ALOFT AND NWRLY FLOW PLUS THE AVAILABLE
MOISTURE...SOME MENTION OF SHOWERS IS WARRANTED THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT.  THE EXTENDED WILL CONTINUE DRY WITH CLOUDINESS AND
COOL TEMPERATURES.  THE LATEST AVN DEVELOPS WARM ADVECTION CLOUDS IN
THE MID LEVELS...BUT DOES NOT DEVELOP ANY PRECIPITATION.  A STRONG
ENOUGH WAVE IN THE WESTERLIES IS ENOUGH TO MENTION STHOWERS MONDAY
AND TUESDAY.

.MSP...NONE.
 SCOTT

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:10 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 hail, 11 tornado, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, McLeod

When
May 9, 5:09 PM CST
Where
McLeod County, 3 mi NE of Glencoe
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.800, -94.100

Large branches ripped down.

Hail, McLeod

When
May 9, 5:20 PM CST
Where
McLeod County, 2 mi SE of Silver Lake
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.883, -94.167

Hail, Carver

When
May 9, 5:27 PM CST
Where
Carver County, Norwood
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
44.767, -93.917

Hail, McLeod

When
May 9, 5:31 PM CST
Where
McLeod County, 3 mi SW of Lester Prairie
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
44.850, -94.100

Tornado, Sibley

When
May 9, 5:34 PM CST
Where
Sibley County, 3 mi NW of Green Isle
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
25 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.717, -94.067

Brief touchdown along road. No damage.

Hail, Carver

When
May 9, 5:39 PM CST
Where
Carver County, Carver
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.767, -93.617

Tornado, Sibley

When
May 9, 5:48 PM CST to 5:55 PM CST
Where
Sibley County, 2 mi ESE of Green Isle
Rating
F0
Path length
3 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.667, -93.983

Tornado blew hay out of barn. Farmer held onto pole to avoid being sucked out of barn.

Hail, Carver

When
May 9, 5:55 PM CST
Where
Carver County, Cologne
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
44.767, -93.783

Hail, Kanabec

When
May 9, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Kanabec County, 1 mi S of Mora
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.867, -93.300

Hail, Faribault

When
May 9, 6:10 PM CST
Where
Faribault County, 3 mi W of Easton
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
43.767, -93.983

Hail, Kanabec

When
May 9, 6:16 PM CST
Where
Kanabec County, 1 mi W of Mora
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.883, -93.317

Tornado, Scott

When
May 9, 6:23 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Scott County, 3 mi SE of Belle Plaine
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.600, -93.717

Tornado passed over open fields, no damage reported.

Tornado, Scott

When
May 9, 6:29 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where
Scott County, 4 mi N of New Prague
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
25 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.600, -93.567

Touched down briefly in open field near south end of Pleasant lake. No damage incurred.

Hail, Waseca

When
May 9, 6:33 PM CST
Where
Waseca County, New Richland
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.900, -93.500

Tornado, Scott

When
May 9, 6:40 PM CST
Where
Scott County, 2 mi NE of New Prague
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
25 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.567, -93.533

Tornado touched down briefly in open field near south end of Cedar Lake. No damage reported.

Hail, Steele

When
May 9, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Steele County, 2 mi SW of Owatonna
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.067, -93.250

Tornado, Scott

When
May 9, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Scott County, 1 mi NW of New Market
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
25 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.600, -93.367

Tornado touched down briefly in open field. No damage reported.

Tornado, Rice

When
May 9, 6:45 PM CST to 6:47 PM CST
Where
Rice County, 4 mi N of Lonsdale
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.517, -93.433

Tornado touched down briefly in open field. No damage reported.

Tornado, Rice

When
May 9, 7:00 PM CST to 7:08 PM CST
Where
Rice County, Northfield
Rating
F2
Path length
5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$9.0 million
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.467, -93.167

NWS damage survey rated the tornado an F2. Tornado touched down briefly in downtown Northfield, flipping over a semi trailer truck and lifting the roof off of one business. Three-fourths mile later, it touched down again on the east side of Northfield, and then remained on the ground for 11 miles. After being in Rice County for 5 miles, it crossed Highway 19 into Dakota County and then dissipated in Goodhue County 4 miles west of Cannon Falls, for a total of 12 miles. Numerous rear flank downdraft gusts estimated at 90 mph caused damage alongside the southern periphery of tornado track. One man sustained minor injuries when he was blown from a tractor, but did not require hospitalization. A total of 8 homes received major damage, 22 more had minor damage, and a turkey processing plant was destroyed.

Hail, Dakota

When
May 9, 7:05 PM CST
Where
Dakota County, 5 mi S of Farmington
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.567, -93.150

Tornado, Dakota

When
May 9, 7:08 PM CST to 7:13 PM CST
Where
Dakota County, 4 mi E of Northfield
Rating
F2
Path length
3 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$7.0 million
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.467, -93.083

The Northfield tornado (which originated in Rice County) crossed Highway 19 into extreme southeastern Dakota County, then went into Goodhue County. Five homes sustained major damage, including one with its roof completely removed. 12 other homes received minor damage. Several motorists barely made it into nearby homes before the tornado struck.

Tornado, Goodhue

When
May 9, 7:13 PM CST to 7:19 PM CST
Where
Goodhue County, 2 mi NW of Stanton
Rating
F2
Path length
4 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$4.0 million
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.500, -93.033

The Northfield tornado (which originated in Rice County) dissipated on the south side of Lake Byllesby, but not before destroying several sheds and causing minor damage to 12 homes.

Hail, Kanabec

When
May 9, 7:15 PM CST
Where
Kanabec County, 10 mi N of Mora
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.033, -93.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Goodhue

When
May 9, 7:23 PM CST
Where
Goodhue County, Cannon Falls
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
44.517, -92.900

Several hundred trees downed from rear flank downdraft after the Northfield tornado had dissipated. Sheds and other outbuildings damaged.

Tornado, Kanabec

When
May 9, 7:23 PM CST to 7:28 PM CST
Where
Kanabec County, 7 mi NW of Quamba
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.983, -93.283

Tornado touched down on Knife lake and moved onto land. Docks and pontoon flipped. A few dozen trees downed.

Hail, Goodhue

When
May 9, 7:40 PM CST
Where
Goodhue County, 1 mi N of Goodhue
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.417, -92.633

Thunderstorm Wind, Goodhue

When
May 9, 7:46 PM CST
Where
Goodhue County, 7 mi S of Red Wing
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.467, -92.533

Truck blown off road. A few trees down.

Hail, Goodhue

When
May 9, 8:23 PM CST
Where
Goodhue County, Frontenac
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.517, -92.350

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Minnesota, 2001Warnings in Minnesota, May 2001

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: 5250025, 5250026, 5250027, 5250028, 5250029, 5250030, 5250031, 5250032, 5250033, 5250034, 5250035, 5250036, 5250037, 5250038, 5250039, 5250040, 5250041, 5250042, 5250117, 5250118, 5250125, 5250126, 5250119, 5250120, 5250121, 5250122, 5250123, 5250124.