Meeker County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Meeker County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jun 11, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The storm complex moved into Meeker County, producing a 4 to 5 mile wide swath of damage from northwest to southeast across the county. The most severe damage was in Grove City and Litchfield. The Grove City High School auditorium roof collapsed, and light towers and other structures were destroyed at the Grove City race track. Hundreds of trees were toppled in Litchfield, many onto homes and vehicles. Dozens of barns, grain bins, and outbuildings sustained damage across the county. Homes were pummeled by wind-driven hail. Damage amount listed is for all events in Meeker County.

2. Sep 21, 2005Hail$800,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail dented cars, along with roofs and siding of many houses. Some windows broken. Property damage total is for the Dassel area on 9-21-05.

3. Jun 24, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees down in a wide swath that originated in Kandiyohi County and extended into Meeker, Renville and McLeod Counties. Sheds and outbuildings were blown over across an approximate area of 40 to 50 square miles. Several grain bins were damaged, and the roof of the Cedar Mills liquor store was removed. The damage survey revealed that winds were from the north-northwest.

4. Jun 17, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Estimated severe straight-line winds of 75 mph caused major damage centered one mile south of Grove City, approximately 5 miles wide (east & west) to 6 miles north of Grove City. Damage was associated with dozens of trees, multiple power lines snapped and blown down, 14 buildings reported or found damaged moderately to severe to include over 1 half dozen metal barns, sheds, grain bins and one house with 1/2 roof torn off. Grove City High School bleachers blown over as well.

5. Apr 22, 2001Flash Flood$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Two to four inches rain fell on saturated ground. The most severe damage occured in Santiago (Sherburne County), where a dike along County Road 11 gave way and allowed water to come crashing into town. About one dozen homes and businesses were flooded and evacuations were necessary. Other damage included flooded basements in Foley (Benton County) and Milaca (Mille Lacs County). County officials reported roads closed in portions of Benton, Meeker, Redwood, Renville and Stearns Counties, with some roads washed out. Intersections were flooded in Willmar (Kandiyohi County).

6. Sep 16, 2006Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An NWS damage survey confirmed a fast moving tornado that ripped apart several large sheds and outbuildings. Scattered trees were downed.

7. Jul 11, 2008Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Damage survey team reported downed trees in Meeker County. The tornado continued into Wright County, where a roof was ripped off a home and some sheds were destroyed.

8. Jun 25, 2002Flash Flood$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Four to six inches of rain affected the northern and eastern portions of Meeker County. Ten roads were closed, and 5 others were covered with some water. A culvert washed out 3 NW Kingston, leading to a section of State Highway 24 collapsing. One family had to be rescued from a car 4 W Kingston. Water was over roads at Dassel, and numerous basements were flooded in Litchfield and Grove City.

9. Jul 15, 2011Flash Flood$125,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous county roads were flooded or closed due to excessive morning rainfall across the area. The main area was focused between Eden Valley, Forest City and Watkins.

10. Aug 3, 2018Tornado$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    This is the continuation of the same EF0 tornado that tracked across Kandiyohi county, and entered Meeker county. This tornado tracked an additional 9.5 miles east along Highway 12, through Grove City, to just northwest of Litchfield. Pockets of tree damage, an overturned trailer, and some other minor structural damage to sheds and pole barns resulted. Straight line wind damage, mostly to trees, was found south of the tornado |track and Highway 12. Maximum winds were estimated at 80 mph, with a width of 300 yards.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

104°F2 times, most recently Aug 1, 1988

All-time low

−37°F2 times, most recently Feb 2, 1996

Warmest night

83°FJul 5, 1982

Coldest day

−19°FFeb 2, 1996

Wettest day

6.08 inJun 17, 1957

Snowiest day

18.0 inNov 1, 1991

Hottest year

1987mean 49.5°F

Coldest year

2008mean 39.7°F

Wettest year

202440.37 in

Driest year

198816.91 in

Snowiest season

71.5 in2018-19

Station Litchfield (USC00214778), 1,120 ft elevation, 2.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1908 to October 27, 2026; 96.1% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00214778.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.