Minnesota, 1996
The year's recorded storm events, federal disaster declarations and flood insurance claims.
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.
Events by hazard
Includes events recorded by forecast zone. The state's yearly total for 1996 was 1,654 against 232 in 1995.
Counties with the most recorded events
Notable events
| Date | County | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Dec 1996 | Big Stone | Blizzard | — | — | 1 | 5 |
| 6 Aug 1996 | Cook | Lightning | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 24 Mar 1996 | Jackson | Blizzard | — | $10,000 | 1 | — |
| 17 Jan 1996 | Benton | Blizzard | — | — | 1 | — |
| 28 Jun 1996 | Lake | Lightning | — | — | 1 | — |
| 23 Dec 1996 | Carver | Winter Storm | — | — | 1 | — |
| 26 Oct 1996 | Douglas | Tornado | F2 | — | — | 4 |
| 26 Oct 1996 | Stearns | Tornado | F2 | — | — | 3 |
| 18 May 1996 | Houston | Hail | 2.75 in | $1,000,000 | — | 2 |
| 6 Aug 1996 | Anoka | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | — | — | 2 |
| 26 Oct 1996 | Douglas | Tornado | F1 | — | — | 2 |
| 14 Jul 1996 | Washington | Lightning | — | — | — | 2 |
| 21 Aug 1996 | St. Louis | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | 2 |
| 19 May 1996 | Wabasha | Thunderstorm Wind | 86 mph | $12,000,000 | — | — |
| 26 Oct 1996 | Otter Tail | Tornado | F2 | $400,000 | — | 1 |
| 6 Jun 1996 | Hennepin | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 |
| 24 Mar 1996 | Scott | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 |
| 6 Aug 1996 | Hennepin | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | — | — | 1 |
| 26 Oct 1996 | Isanti | Tornado | F1 | — | — | 1 |
| 21 Jul 1996 | St. Louis | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 |
| 19 May 1996 | Dodge | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | $8,500,000 | — | — |
| 19 May 1996 | Steele | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $5,000,000 | — | — |
| 19 May 1996 | Dakota | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $4,500,000 | — | — |
| 19 May 1996 | Waseca | Thunderstorm Wind | 99 mph | $4,000,000 | — | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Murray | Ice Storm | — | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Nobles | Ice Storm | — | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 19 May 1996 | Washington | Hail | 1.50 in | $1,700,000 | — | — |
| 19 May 1996 | Faribault | Thunderstorm Wind | 86 mph | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 17 May 1996 | Big Stone | Tornado | F3 | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Pipestone | Ice Storm | — | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Rock | Ice Storm | — | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Jackson | Ice Storm | — | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Cottonwood | Ice Storm | — | $1,500,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Nobles | Hail | 4.50 in | $500,000 | — | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Lincoln | Ice Storm | — | $1,000,000 | — | — |
| 14 Nov 1996 | Lyon | Ice Storm | — | $1,000,000 | — | — |
| 19 May 1996 | Olmsted | Thunderstorm Wind | 92 mph | $900,000 | — | — |
| 19 May 1996 | Washington | Thunderstorm Wind | 98 mph | $800,000 | — | — |
| 26 Oct 1996 | Wadena | Tornado | F2 | $750,000 | — | — |
| 19 May 1996 | Martin | Thunderstorm Wind | 68 mph | $600,000 | — | — |
Up to 40 events with deaths, injuries, damage of $50,000 or more, or a tornado rating, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage.
Federal disaster declarations in 1996
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun 1996 | DR-1116 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding And Severe Storms | 26 |
| 5 Jan 1996 | DR-1078 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | High Winds, Freezing Rain, Heavy Snowfall | 4 |
Flood insurance claims with a 1996 date of loss
347 NFIP claims, 295 of them paid, for $1,470,816.
Sources: NOAA NCEI Storm Events through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2 (1 Oct 2026); OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 (8 Sep 2026). Built 1 Oct 2026.