Faribault County, Minnesota
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1957 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
42
Tornado reports
120
Hail reports
26
Floods since 1996
499
All events
2
Deaths
$15.5M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Faribault County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 42 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated
Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
Two people were killed in a house fire in Blue Earth, Minnesota, Sunday morning around 5 a.m. The deceased were a 39 year old male, and a 47 year old male. An investigation found the cause of the fire had been a lightning strike to the home, which had no functioning smoke detecto…
20 to 40 homes damaged. Estimated windspeed. Damage estimate for entire county.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm wind gusts snapped several large branches from the base of a tree.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm wind gusts snapped a large branch from the base of a tree.
Tornado EF1 Tornado
This tornado track and timing are based on videos from two different storm chasers as well as damage reported by personnel with the Elmore Fire Department. The tornado mostly moved over open fields, but toward the end, it hit a farm, taking tin off a shed and blowing in garage do…
Blizzard Blizzard
MNDOT RWIS sites reported visibilities at or below 1/4 mile for several hours as heavy snow fell and sustained winds were 15 to 25 mph with frequent gusts over 35 mph. The 2-day snowfall estimates ranged from about 6 to 9 inches throughout the county, with the highest report bein…
High Wind High Wind
Strong northwest winds were sustained around 35 to 45 mph overnight, with frequent gusts over 50 mph. A max wind gust of 62 mph was recorded at near KFRM around 3:00am.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
A narrow band of snow produced 1 to 3 inches across the county. The highest CoCoRaHS snowfall measurement was 3 inches 4 miles SE of Wells.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Nearby KFRM reported wind gusts as high as 25 mph during the evening as air temperatures dropped from -10F to -19F overnight. The lowest measured wind chill was -45F at 6AM on the 23rd.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
The combination of very strong winds and light snow showers resulted in reduced visibility from blowing snow. Occasional near blizzard conditions were reported at the height of the storm. The AWOS at nearby KFRM and MNDOT sensors in Wells and Blue Earth noted visibility as low as…
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Nearby KFRM measured strong winds gusting to 45 mph and scattered snow showers resulting in periodic reductions in visibility as low as a 1/4 mile at times, though generally around 1 to 2 miles.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Nearby KFRM measured strong winds gusting to 40 mph and scattered snow showers resulting in periodic reductions in visibility as low as a 1/2 mile at times. The worst conditions were during the morning of the 17th. Total snowfall accumulation was under an inch.
Blizzard Blizzard
The combination of falling snow and strong winds resulted in blizzard conditions throughout the county. Surface visibilities dropped to 1/4 mile or less for several hours at the RWIS site near Blue Earth, and winds gusted over 35 mph while snow was falling throughout much of the …
Blizzard Blizzard
Light snow combined with strong 40 to 50 mph wind gusts caused blowing snow and whiteout conditions for multiple hours. The nearest AWOS station located at Fairmont Municipal Airport recorded a 49 mph wind gust.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Light snow fell across the county during the afternoon and evening hours. Between 2 to 3 inches of snowfall fell across the county with three inches being measured by CoCoRaHS by 1 mile SSE of Blue Earth.
Winter Storm Winter Storm
Persistent light snow lasted for over 24 hours, with strong winds gusting to 35 mph near the end of the event. Snowfall totals across the county were reported around 8 to 12 inches. The highest report was 12.0 inches 1 mile SE of Blue Earth.
Funnel Cloud Funnel Cloud
A trained spotter reported several brief funnel clouds with a storm just west of Delavan.
Tornado EF0 Tornado
A tornado was caught on video in Faribault County, just north of Interstate 90. It moved across fields before moving into Freeborn County, where it hit some trees. Satellite imagery confirmed the tornado path. Based on the tree damage, the maximum wind speed was estimated at 80 m…
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Photo of large pine tree blown over.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm winds forced power poles to lean and pull towards the ground. A farm outbuilding sustained some roof damage.
Blizzard Blizzard
An estimated 1 to 10 inches of snow fell across the county with the highest amounts in the southeast portion. Frequent gusts over 35 mph and heavy snowfall rates resulted in several hours of 1/4 mile visibility or less. These conditions resulted in hazardous travel with law enfor…
Blizzard Blizzard
An estimated 6 to 10 inches of snow fell across the county. Frequent gusts over 35 mph and heavy snowfall rates resulted in several hours of 3/4 mile visibility or less. These conditions resulted in many roads becoming impassable or completely closed (including I-90) Tuesday even…
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
The wind chill dropped to -38 during the morning at the MNDOT RWIS site near Wells and -37 during the morning at the MNDOT RWIS site near Blue Earth.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Interpolated snowfall analysis from CoCoRaHS reports showed two to three inches accumulation across the county.
Tornado EF0 Tornado
The tornado mostly moved across fields, but it did hit one house. A storm chaser took video of the tornado. Satellite imagery showed a path through the crops, enabling a determination of the beginning and end points.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Several trees and very large branches were taken down in the southeast side of Wells due to a downburst not far from a tornado.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Flooded roadways in the southwest part of Wells due to heavy rain.
Heavy Rain Heavy Rain
A total of 3 to 5 inches of rain fell from multiple rounds of thunderstorms. CoCoRaHS observers measured 4.62 inches near Minnesota Lake.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Several trees were knocked down or broken.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Multiple bands consisting of rain mixed with snow moved through and produced generally 1 to 2 inches of snow and 35 mph wind gusts.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Based on surrounding observations, wind chill values were -35 to -40 degrees.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Based on surrounding observations, winds gusted over 30 mph, with blowing snow and reduced visibilities.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Two to four inches of snow fell across the county.
Excessive Heat Excessive Heat
Warm environmental temperatures in the mid 90s combined with high dewpoint values in the upper 70s caused high heat indices exceeding 105F for approximately six hours. The AWOS Station located in Albert Lea, MN recorded an apparent temperature of 114F at 5:55 PM (CST). The AWOS S…
Hail Hail
Winter Storm Winter Storm
Multiple bands of snow moved across the county. Sustained winds increased out of the northeast near 20-25 mph with gusts near 30-35 mph per the Albert Lea Airport ASOS observations. Across the county, Interpolated Snowfall Analysis using the National Gridded Snowfall Analysis (NG…
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
A band of heavy snow lifted up from Iowa and produced 5 to 6 inches across the county, with a few locations picking up close to 7 inches in the southern part of the county. Most of the snow fell between midnight and 6 AM on the 19th.
Ice Storm Ice Storm
Calls to dispatch centers revealed slippery roads and a few power outages.
Blizzard Blizzard
All county and state roads were closed due to blizzard conditions. I-90 was closed more for safety due to reduced visibility. Snow drifts were 2 to 3 feet deep, and one family was rescued and transported to a hotel.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Airfield stations in neighboring counties recorded wind-chill temperatures fluctuating between -37 to -35 for numerous hours. Strongest winds occurred in the early afternoon between 40-45 mph.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
Multiple CoCoRaHS reports observed 5-7 inches of snowfall in Fairbault County. The highest report received was 7 inches in Winnebago, MN.
Excessive Heat Excessive Heat
Several temperature gauges measured heat indices between 105 and 110 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours.
Funnel Cloud Funnel Cloud
High Wind High Wind
Several wind sensors across Faribault County reported sustained winds in excess of 45 mph, with gusts near 55 mph at times.
Hail Hail
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
As the Arctic airmass shifted to the east, return flow developed and dropped wind chill values below -35F for several hours Wednesday morning.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 13 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 1 |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 | 1 |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 |
| 2019 | 11 | 0 |
| 2018 | 15 | 2 |
| 2017 | 7 | 1 |
| 2016 | 10 | 0 |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 16 | 0 |
| 2013 | 22 | 0 |
| 2012 | 9 | 1 |
| 2011 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010 | 39 | 11 |
| 2009 | 16 | 3 |
| 2008 | 12 | 0 |
| 2007 | 17 | 0 |
| 2006 | 17 | 0 |
| 2005 | 22 | 0 |
| 2004 | 23 | 1 |
| 2003 | 11 | 0 |
| 2002 | 14 | 0 |
| 2001 | 21 | 0 |
| 2000 | 6 | 0 |
| 1999 | 18 | 2 |
| 1998 | 21 | 3 |
| 1997 | 11 | 1 |
| 1996 | 19 | 0 |
| 1995 | 4 | 0 |
| 1994 | 4 | 0 |
| 1993 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | 3 | 1 |
| 1990 | 3 | 1 |
| 1989 | 2 | 0 |
| 1987 | 6 | 0 |
| 1986 | 2 | 0 |
| 1985 | 3 | 1 |
| 1984 | 3 | 0 |
| 1982 | 2 | 0 |
| 1981 | 3 | 3 |
| 1980 | 2 | 1 |
| 1979 | 4 | 0 |
| 1978 | 4 | 1 |
| 1977 | 2 | 0 |
| 1975 | 2 | 0 |
| 1974 | 7 | 0 |
| 1971 | 4 | 0 |
| 1970 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968 | 4 | 0 |
| 1967 | 3 | 2 |
| 1965 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964 | 1 | 1 |
| 1961 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959 | 1 | 1 |
| 1958 | 2 | 1 |
| 1957 | 1 | 0 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Faribault County, measured to its path.
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