States › Minnesota › Wright County › Tornado
Tornado in Wright County, Minnesota
27 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.
NCEI records 27 tornado events in Wright County, Minnesota, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 19 years.
July is the busiest month, with 10 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 8 events against 13 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 2,433 tornado events recorded in Minnesota; its 4.1 per 100 square miles compares with 3.1 statewide.
By rating: 10 at (E)F0, 11 at (E)F1, 4 at (E)F2, 2 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Minnesota
| Measure | Wright County | Minnesota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 27 | 2,433 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.1 | 3.1 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.9 | 4.3 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 101 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | July | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
4Jun
8Jul
10Aug
1Sep
4Oct
0Nov
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 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 2006 | Tornado | F0 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2002 | Tornado | F1 | $1.4M | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2002 | Tornado | F1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1997 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1997 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1997 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1997 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 1995 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1992 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | 8 | County |
| 16 Jun 1992 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 1990 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 1981 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 14 Jun 1981 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1965 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 1961 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Wright County had?
27 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 Wright County?
29 Sep 2023 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Wright County?
The tornado of 9 Sep 2002, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $1.4M.
How does Wright County compare with Minnesota for tornado?
4.1 events per 100 square miles against 3.1 statewide; the county holds 27 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.