Tornadoes · United States · Minnesota

Tornadoes in Polk County, Minnesota

84 tornadoes have crossed Polk County since 1950, 2nd of the 87 counties in Minnesota with a tornado on record, an average of 1.1 a year. They have killed 7 people and injured 57. None was rated F4 or above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
84
Deaths
7
Injuries
57
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
EF3, June 17, 2010

The deadliest in Polk County

  1. F2, Norman, Mahnomen, Polk and Clearwater counties, MinnesotaJuly 5, 19784 killed, 44 injured
  2. F1, Polk County, MinnesotaAugust 31, 19752 killed
  3. EF3, Polk and Red Lake counties, MinnesotaJune 17, 20101 killed, 2 injured

The strongest

  1. EF3, Polk and Red Lake counties, MinnesotaJune 17, 2010EF3, 15.0 mi (24 km)
  2. F2, Norman, Mahnomen, Polk and Clearwater counties, MinnesotaJuly 5, 1978F2, 57.5 mi (93 km)
  3. EF2, Polk and Red Lake counties, MinnesotaJuly 21, 2014EF2, 37.9 mi (61 km)
  4. EF2, Polk County, MinnesotaJune 29, 2018EF2, 15.4 mi (25 km)
  5. EF2, Grand Forks and Polk counties, North Dakota and MinnesotaAugust 26, 2007EF2, 5.0 mi (8 km)
  6. EF2, Polk County, MinnesotaJune 8, 2019EF2, 3.6 mi (6 km)
  7. F2, Polk County, MinnesotaJuly 13, 1977F2, 2.3 mi (4 km)
  8. F2, Polk County, MinnesotaJune 23, 2005F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  9. F2, Polk County, MinnesotaJuly 13, 1977F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  10. F2, Polk County, MinnesotaJune 23, 2005F2, 1.5 mi (2 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 36 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Polk County. Each year links to every tornado in Minnesota that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20255EF1
20233EF0
20221EF0
20212EF1
20191EF2
20184EF2
20172EF1
20163EF1
20142EF2
20131EF1
20112EF1
2010612EF3
20072EF2
20063F1
20059F2
20041F0
20023F1
20012F1
19991F0
19983F0
19972F0
19963F0
19951F0
19932F0
19872F0
19861F0
19841F0
19831F0
19791F0
19784444F2
197752F2
197512F1
19701F1
196611F1
19631F1
195518F2

Every tornado that crossed Polk County

84 tornadoes, newest first. 3 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files them under that state rather than Minnesota.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 8, 20254:12 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks to MN4.0400
August 8, 20254:12 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks to MN5.750
July 7, 20258:53 PM CDTEF1Norman4.740
July 7, 20258:29 PM CDTEF0Polk0.610
May 15, 20255:09 PM CDTUnratedPolk0.110
June 24, 20234:49 PM CDTUnratedPolk0.910
June 24, 20234:44 PM CDTUnratedPolk0.510
June 24, 20234:10 PM CDTEF0Norman1.510
April 23, 20226:55 PM CDTEF0Polk0.350
August 9, 202111:05 PM CDTEF0Polk2.2150$5,000
August 9, 202110:55 PM CDTEF1Polk3.6200$120,000
June 8, 20197:34 PM CDTEF2Polk3.6400
August 26, 201811:51 PM CDTEF1Clearwater25.0200
August 26, 201811:30 PM CDTEF1Norman20.9300
June 29, 20184:56 AM CDTEF1Polk2.5250
June 29, 20184:54 AM CDTEF2Polk15.4400$6.5 million
September 19, 20177:50 PM CDTEF1Norman4.6100$52,000
July 11, 20177:07 PM CDTEF1Polk10.0250$50,000
August 28, 20168:14 PM CDTEF0Polk0.275
August 28, 20168:02 PM CDTEF0Polk0.8100
July 19, 20168:55 PM CDTEF1Polk4.8300
July 21, 20148:52 PM CDTEF2Polk37.9800
June 21, 20148:35 PM CDTEF1Polk2.0300$5,000
July 22, 20131:33 AM CDTEF1Clearwater7.5150$150,000
July 4, 20118:05 PM CDTEF0Polk1.060
May 30, 20119:26 PM CDTEF1Polk9.0100$50,000
June 26, 20108:45 PM CDTEF0Polk8.150
June 17, 20106:15 PM CDTEF3Polk15.015012
June 17, 20106:06 PM CDTEF0Polk2.075
June 17, 20106:00 PM CDTEF1Polk3.0150
June 17, 20105:50 PM CDTEF1Polk7.0150
June 17, 20104:00 PM CDTEF0Mahnomen6.040
August 26, 200710:00 PM CDTEF2Grand Forks to MN5.0300
June 17, 20074:11 PM CDTEF0Polk0.525
July 27, 20066:46 PM CDTF0Polk2.525$30,000
May 7, 200611:40 PM CDTF1Polk0.550
May 7, 200610:17 PM CDTF0Polk0.225
June 23, 20056:20 PM CDTF0Polk0.250
June 23, 20055:48 PM CDTF1Polk5.0100
June 23, 20055:44 PM CDTF0Polk0.250
June 23, 20055:34 PM CDTF2Polk1.5200
June 23, 20055:22 PM CDTF2Polk2.0200
June 19, 20057:08 PM CDTF0Polk0.250
May 21, 20053:18 PM CDTF2Polk0.375$10,000
May 20, 20055:22 PM CDTF0Polk0.325
May 20, 20055:07 PM CDTF0Polk0.525
August 29, 20045:30 PM CDTF0Polk2.025$1,000
August 26, 20025:15 PM CDTF0Polk1.025
August 26, 20024:00 PM CDTF0Polk3.025
July 25, 20026:45 PM CDTF1Polk3.050$20,000
August 8, 200110:05 PM CDTF1Polk0.550$70,000
May 15, 20014:53 PM CDTF0Polk0.510
July 15, 19994:04 PM CDTF0Polk0.50
July 20, 19983:30 PM CDTF0Polk0.230
July 20, 19983:28 PM CDTF0Polk0.230
June 24, 19987:23 PM CDTF0Polk0.230
July 1, 19976:07 PM CDTF0Polk0.223
June 19, 19976:10 PM CDTF0Polk0.123
July 14, 19964:39 PM CDTF0Polk7.030
June 5, 19968:05 PM CDTF0Polk0.520
June 5, 19967:56 PM CDTF0Polk1.025
August 18, 19955:45 PM CDTF0Polk0.123
August 8, 199312:40 AM CDTF0Polk0.110
June 22, 199311:55 PM CDTF0Polk0.110
July 1, 19874:44 PM CDTF0Polk0.320
July 1, 19874:35 PM CDTF0Polk0.220
July 27, 19867:45 PM CDTF0Polk0.210
August 8, 19844:15 PM CDTF0Polk0.350
June 22, 19831:10 AM CDTF0Polk3.0300$50,000 to $500,000
July 5, 19791:10 PM CDTF0Polk1.050
July 24, 19789:25 PM CDTF1Polk1.5100$5,000 to $50,000
July 24, 19789:20 PM CDTF0Polk0.110
July 21, 19782:30 PM CDTF0Polk0.230$500 to $5,000
July 5, 19782:45 AM CDTF2Norman57.5400444$5 million to $50 million
July 13, 19778:43 PM CDTF1Polk0.130$5,000 to $50,000
July 13, 19778:00 PM CDTF2Polk2.01202$5,000 to $50,000
July 13, 19778:00 PM CDTF2Polk1.0100$5,000 to $50,000
July 13, 19778:00 PM CDTF2Polk2.3100$50,000 to $500,000
May 26, 19774:00 PM CDTF1Polk1.5100$50,000 to $500,000
August 31, 19756:00 PM CDTF1Polk4.3302$50,000 to $500,000
June 25, 19706:05 PM CDTF1Mahnomen10.320$5,000 to $50,000
July 9, 19661:30 AM GMT-5F1Polk2.0101$50,000 to $500,000
June 25, 19633:45 PM GMT-5F1Polk8.9350$5,000 to $50,000
June 30, 19554:50 PM GMT-5F2Polk0.14408$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Polk CountyThe forecast for Polk CountyThe live radar over Polk CountyEvery county in Minnesota

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.