Rip Current in Minnesota
Every rip current event the National Weather Service has filed in Minnesota, year by year, with the most significant episodes. A narrow, fast current flowing away from the beach that caused a drowning or rescue.
The most significant on the map
The most significant rip current episodes in Minnesota.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 8
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 6
- Damage
- None recorded
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Rip Current in Minnesota, August 10, 2017An adult male and juvenile female, a father and his daughter, were swimming off the beach of Lake Superior in Park Point rip currents swept them further out into the water. Emergency responders were able to retrieve the unresponsive swimmers after a lengthy search.
- Rip Current in Minnesota, July 20, 2011East winds at Park Point were blowing at 10 to 20 mph then become light at 5 pm. Two children nearly drowned when they were caught in a suddenly developing rip current.
- Rip Current in Minnesota, July 1, 2021Strong northeast winds led to waves of 3 to 5 feet along Park Point on July 1. During the afternoon, a woman was playing in the waves with friends and was knocked over by a wave. She was unable to stand back up and was being pulled away from shore and calling for help.
- Rip Current in Minnesota, June 5, 2021Unseasonably hot weather on the 5th led to many people heading to the Park Point beaches to cool off.
- Rip Current in Minnesota, August 7, 2021Northeasterly winds of 10 to 20 knots with gusts to 25 to 30 knots led to building waves at the head of Lake Superior. Waves of 3 to 6 feet led to the creation of rip currents along Minnesota Point during the day.
- Rip Current in Minnesota, July 18, 2012Onshore winds with gale-force gusts, accompanied by waves reported to be at least 4 to 5 feet high were occurring throughout the afternoon and evening of July 18th.
- Rip Current in Minnesota, August 3, 2012A young girl was caught in a rip current while swimming at Park Point. She was rescued by the beach fire-fighter. Waves were 3 to 5 feet and onshore east-northeast winds were gusting to 25 knots in the area.
- Rip Current in Minnesota, August 4, 2023During the early evening of the 4th, two swimmers were caught in a rip current while swimming along the Park Point Beach near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge. A passerby entered the water to rescue them and successfully did so.
More
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.