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Tornado in Pope County, Minnesota
30 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Pope County, Minnesota, has 30 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 19 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 12 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 15 events against 9 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.2% of the 2,433 tornado events recorded in Minnesota; its 4.5 per 100 square miles compares with 3.1 statewide.
By rating: 16 at (E)F0, 10 at (E)F1, 3 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Minnesota
| Measure | Pope County | Minnesota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 30 | 2,433 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.5 | 3.1 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 26.3 | 4.3 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 101 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
1May
12Jun
4Jul
9Aug
1Sep
2Oct
1Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 30 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 May 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Sep 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2009 | Tornado | EF2 | $250K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2003 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2003 | Tornado | F1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1997 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Oct 1996 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 1992 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1973 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1966 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 1966 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1964 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 13 | County |
| 7 Jul 1959 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1953 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Pope County had?
30 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Pope County?
30 May 2022 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Pope County?
The tornado of 19 Sep 2017, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $500K.
How does Pope County compare with Minnesota for tornado?
4.5 events per 100 square miles against 3.1 statewide; the county holds 30 of the state's 2,433 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.