Tornado Risk in Minnesota
All Minnesota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index tornado score
Tornado risk — violently rotating columns of air capable of catastrophic local damage — is rated for 87 of 87 Minnesota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Hennepin County carries the state's highest tornado score at 99.6, with $83M in expected annual tornado losses.
5 Minnesota counties are rated High or Very High for tornado, and expected annual losses from tornado total roughly $348M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Tornado
| # | County | Tornado Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hennepin County | Very High | 0.46 / yr | $83M | |
| 2 | Ramsey County | High | 0.13 / yr | $36M | |
| 3 | Dakota County | High | 0.47 / yr | $32M | |
| 4 | Washington County | High | 0.28 / yr | $20M | |
| 5 | Stearns County | High | 0.90 / yr | $11M | |
| 6 | Rice County | Medium | 0.44 / yr | $7M | |
| 7 | Olmsted County | Medium | 0.46 / yr | $13M | |
| 8 | Scott County | Medium | 0.30 / yr | $12M | |
| 9 | Anoka County | Medium | 0.30 / yr | $11M | |
| 10 | Otter Tail County | Medium | 1.31 / yr | $5M | |
| 11 | Mower County | Medium | 0.56 / yr | $4M | |
| 12 | Wright County | Medium | 0.51 / yr | $8M | |
| 13 | Freeborn County | Medium | 0.61 / yr | $4M | |
| 14 | Carver County | Medium | 0.31 / yr | $8M | |
| 15 | Blue Earth County | Medium | 0.62 / yr | $4M | |
| 16 | Winona County | Medium | 0.34 / yr | $4M | |
| 17 | Nobles County | Medium | 0.56 / yr | $2M | |
| 18 | Steele County | Medium | 0.37 / yr | $5M | |
| 19 | Goodhue County | Medium | 0.58 / yr | $5M | |
| 20 | Sherburne County | Medium | 0.28 / yr | $4M | |
| 21 | Martin County | Medium | 0.57 / yr | $2M | |
| 22 | McLeod County | Medium | 0.41 / yr | $3M | |
| 23 | Benton County | Medium | 0.22 / yr | $3M | |
| 24 | St. Louis County | Low | 0.39 / yr | $2M | |
| 25 | Chisago County | Low | 0.23 / yr | $3M | |
| 26 | Douglas County | Low | 0.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 27 | Fillmore County | Low | 0.56 / yr | $2M | |
| 28 | Clay County | Low | 0.69 / yr | $2M | |
| 29 | Wabasha County | Low | 0.33 / yr | $2M | |
| 30 | Crow Wing County | Low | 0.33 / yr | $2M | |
| 31 | Kandiyohi County | Low | 0.61 / yr | $2M | |
| 32 | Faribault County | Low | 0.59 / yr | $1M | |
| 33 | Nicollet County | Low | 0.38 / yr | $2M | |
| 34 | Becker County | Low | 0.78 / yr | $2M | |
| 35 | Brown County | Low | 0.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 36 | Pine County | Low | 0.41 / yr | $1M | |
| 37 | Renville County | Low | 0.74 / yr | $1M | |
| 38 | Isanti County | Low | 0.23 / yr | $2M | |
| 39 | Morrison County | Low | 0.51 / yr | $1M | |
| 40 | Meeker County | Low | 0.48 / yr | $2M | |
| 41 | Le Sueur County | Low | 0.39 / yr | $2M | |
| 42 | Polk County | Low | 1.21 / yr | $1M | |
| 43 | Waseca County | Low | 0.36 / yr | $1M | |
| 44 | Watonwan County | Low | 0.34 / yr | $1M | |
| 45 | Chippewa County | Low | 0.39 / yr | $868K | |
| 46 | Dodge County | Low | 0.35 / yr | $2M | |
| 47 | Cass County | Low | 0.59 / yr | $762K | |
| 48 | Cottonwood County | Low | 0.46 / yr | $916K | |
| 49 | Sibley County | Low | 0.49 / yr | $2M | |
| 50 | Houston County | Low | 0.28 / yr | $1M | |
| 51 | Jackson County | Low | 0.54 / yr | $1M | |
| 52 | Lyon County | Low | 0.47 / yr | $1M | |
| 53 | Beltrami County | Low | 0.82 / yr | $836K | |
| 54 | Todd County | Low | 0.55 / yr | $782K | |
| 55 | Murray County | Low | 0.52 / yr | $837K | |
| 56 | Redwood County | Low | 0.61 / yr | $857K | |
| 57 | Pipestone County | Low | 0.36 / yr | $1M | |
| 58 | Kanabec County | Low | 0.21 / yr | $874K | |
| 59 | Hubbard County | Low | 0.38 / yr | $773K | |
| 60 | Rock County | Low | 0.40 / yr | $1M | |
| 61 | Carlton County | Low | 0.12 / yr | $694K | |
| 62 | Yellow Medicine County | Low | 0.49 / yr | $673K | |
| 63 | Mille Lacs County | Low | 0.28 / yr | $645K | |
| 64 | Wadena County | Low | 0.24 / yr | $487K | |
| 65 | Pope County | Low | 0.48 / yr | $588K | |
| 66 | Lac qui Parle County | Low | 0.51 / yr | $515K | |
| 67 | Swift County | Low | 0.50 / yr | $435K | |
| 68 | Lincoln County | Low | 0.36 / yr | $474K | |
| 69 | Itasca County | Low | 0.37 / yr | $384K | |
| 70 | Pennington County | Low | 0.31 / yr | $480K | |
| 71 | Stevens County | Very Low | 0.39 / yr | $614K | |
| 72 | Aitkin County | Very Low | 0.39 / yr | $271K | |
| 73 | Big Stone County | Very Low | 0.35 / yr | $319K | |
| 74 | Norman County | Very Low | 0.58 / yr | $292K | |
| 75 | Mahnomen County | Very Low | 0.29 / yr | $190K | |
| 76 | Grant County | Very Low | 0.39 / yr | $406K | |
| 77 | Wilkin County | Very Low | 0.47 / yr | $330K | |
| 78 | Marshall County | Very Low | 0.95 / yr | $250K | |
| 79 | Traverse County | Very Low | 0.39 / yr | $218K | |
| 80 | Roseau County | Very Low | 0.43 / yr | $214K | |
| 81 | Clearwater County | Very Low | 0.41 / yr | $197K | |
| 82 | Kittson County | Very Low | 0.43 / yr | $209K | |
| 83 | Lake County | Very Low | 0.12 / yr | $74K | |
| 84 | Red Lake County | Very Low | 0.23 / yr | $80K | |
| 85 | Koochiching County | Very Low | 0.30 / yr | $20K | |
| 86 | Lake of the Woods County | Very Low | 0.27 / yr | $41K | |
| 87 | Cook County | Very Low | 0.05 / yr | $6K |
87 Minnesota counties with measurable tornado risk. See the national tornado ranking or all Minnesota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota county has the highest tornado risk?
Hennepin County has the highest FEMA tornado risk score in Minnesota at 99.6 (Very High), with $83M in expected annual losses and about 0.46 events per year.
How many Minnesota counties face significant tornado risk?
87 Minnesota counties record measurable tornado risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 5 of them are rated High or Very High.