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Flood in Stearns County, Minnesota
24 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
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.
NCEI records 24 flood events in Stearns County, Minnesota, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 12 years.
June is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 13 events against 11 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.9% of the 2,680 flood events recorded in Minnesota; its 1.8 per 100 square miles compares with 3.4 statewide.
Compared with Minnesota
| Measure | Stearns County | Minnesota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 24 | 2,680 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.8 | 3.4 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.5 | 4.7 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 23 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | June | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
2Apr
5May
2Jun
6Jul
6Aug
2Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2015 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 31 May 2014 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2014 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2011 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2011 | Flash Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 2009 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Mar 2009 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 2005 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2005 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2005 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2002 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2002 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2001 | Flash Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2001 | Flash Flood | — | $6.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Apr 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Apr 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Stearns County had?
24 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in Stearns County?
23 Jul 2025 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Stearns County?
The flash flood of 7 Apr 2001, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $6.0M.
How does Stearns County compare with Minnesota for flood?
1.8 events per 100 square miles against 3.4 statewide; the county holds 24 of the state's 2,680 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 Flood hub and the county page.