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Brown County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes

 
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The chance of earthquake damage in Brown County is about the same as Minnesota average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Brown County is higher than Minnesota average and is higher than the national average.

Topics:Earthquake IndexVolcano IndexTornado IndexOther Weather Extremes EventsVolcanos NearbyHistorical Earthquake EventsHistorical Tornado Events

Earthquake Index, #55

Brown County
0.00
Minnesota
0.01
U.S.
1.81

The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.

Volcano Index, #1

Brown County
0.0000
Minnesota
0.0000
U.S.
0.0023

The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.

Tornado Index, #30

Brown County
155.30
Minnesota
135.90
U.S.
136.45

The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.

Other Weather Extremes Events

A total of 11,512 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Brown County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:

TypeCountTypeCountTypeCountTypeCountTypeCount
Avalanche:0Blizzard:44Cold:22Dense Fog:2Drought:5
Dust Storm:0Flood:648Hail:5,478Heat:7Heavy Snow:57
High Surf:0Hurricane:0Ice Storm:8Landslide:0Strong Wind:52
Thunderstorm Winds:4,541Tropical Storm:0Wildfire:1Winter Storm:116Winter Weather:42
Other:489 

Volcanos Nearby

No volcano is found in or near Brown County.

Historical Earthquake Events

No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Brown County.

No historical earthquake events found in or near Brown County.

Historical Tornado Events

A total of 55 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Brown County.

Distance (miles)DateMagnitudeStart Lat/LogEnd Lat/LogLengthWidthFatalitiesInjuriesProperty DamageCrop DamageAffected County
4.51981-06-21244°17'N / 94°50'W44°13'N / 94°49'W3.80 Miles200 Yards00250K0Brown
4.91952-06-23244°07'N / 95°05'W44°23'N / 94°35'W30.70 Miles220 Yards052.5M0Brown
7.01998-03-29444°07'N / 94°54'W44°14'N / 94°22'W25.00 Miles2200 Yards11645.0M0Brown
 Brief Description: Tornado began 7 miles east of Avoca in Murray county, continued through Cottonwood, Brown, extreme Northwest Watonwan, Northwest Blue Earth, and finally lifted off 4 miles east of Courtland in Nicollet county. Total storm track was 67 miles. The tornado ripped through the village of Comfrey destroying a grain elevator and damaging 75% of the town. Much of downtown Comfrey destroyed including the town hall. School heavily damaged. 100 people made homeless. 50 homes destroyed. 130 farmsteads damaged or destroyed in Brown county. 500 dairy cows killed. One man critically injured in collapse of farmstead northwest of the town of Hanska. He died the next day. 35 buildings destroyed or damaged in far Northwest Blue Earth county. Damage estimate estimated. Property damage to extreme northwest Blue Earth county across Cambria township estimated at 2 million. Property damage to extreme northwest Watonwan county estimated at 245 thousand. M85PH
7.32010-06-25244°20'N / 94°39'W44°20'N / 94°39'W000K0KBrown
 Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Two farmsteads were hit near the intersection of 260th Street and County Road 10, with one receiving considerable damage. A barn was 2/3 destroyed, a harvestore silo was dented in about 70 feet off the ground, a corn crib was flattened, multiple wagons were displaced approximately 50 yards, and a wooden pole rated to 118 mph was cracked at the base. EPISODE NARRATIVE: During the morning of Friday June 25th, a small complex of thunderstorms developed across west-central Minnesota, and quickly moved eastward across southern Minnesota. Isolated severe weather occurred with these storms in west-central Minnesota during the morning hours. During the afternoon, a larger complex of storms developed across western Minnesota, and moved quickly across portions of central and southern Minnesota during the evening. Damage was extensive as several bow echoes, supercells, and squall lines raced across the area. There were numerous reports of structural damage to farms and homesteads, very large hail, and very large trees blown down. Softball to baseball size hail was reported near New Ulm, Minnesota, with several reports of wind damage throughout southern, and east-central Minnesota. Several significant tornadoes occurred in portions of south central Minnesota during the late afternoon, and early evening hours. Two separate severe storms moved across the Twin Cities area, one produced minor damage with hail in the late afternoon, but the second that occurred in the early evening caused more straight-line wind damage throughout the area, along with flash flooding.
9.71981-06-21244°25'N / 94°54'W44°17'N / 94°50'W9.50 Miles200 Yards00250K0Redwood
12.31998-03-29444°05'N / 94°51'W44°06'N / 94°52'W0.50 Mile100 Yards0000Watonwan
 Brief Description: Tornado moving through southern Brown county brushed extreme northwest Watonwan county. See Brown county narrative.
13.61963-07-16244°03'N / 94°46'W44°03'N / 94°39'W5.20 Miles1760 Yards00250K0Watonwan
14.71977-08-09244°04'N / 94°46'W44°00'N / 94°41'W5.60 Miles70 Yards00250K0Watonwan
21.02010-06-25244°16'N / 94°21'W44°15'N / 94°16'W4.00 Miles75 Yards000K0KNicollet
 Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down on the west side of Courtland, near Highway 14. The tornado produced EF-1 damage in the town of Courtland, where numerous trees were uprooted and many large tree branches were downed. The tornado continued east- southeast and strengthened in intensity just south of County Highway 25, where it produced EF-2 damage to multiple farmsteads. Damage included total destruction of a barn just west of the intersection of 511th avenue and County Highway 25. Widespread tree damage and snapped electrical transmission lines were also noted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: During the morning of Friday June 25th, a small complex of thunderstorms developed across west-central Minnesota, and quickly moved eastward across southern Minnesota. Isolated severe weather occurred with these storms in west-central Minnesota during the morning hours. During the afternoon, a larger complex of storms developed across western Minnesota, and moved quickly across portions of central and southern Minnesota during the evening. Damage was extensive as several bow echoes, supercells, and squall lines raced across the area. There were numerous reports of structural damage to farms and homesteads, very large hail, and very large trees blown down. Softball to baseball size hail was reported near New Ulm, Minnesota, with several reports of wind damage throughout southern, and east-central Minnesota. Several significant tornadoes occurred in portions of south central Minnesota during the late afternoon, and early evening hours. Two separate severe storms moved across the Twin Cities area, one produced minor damage with hail in the late afternoon, but the second that occurred in the early evening caused more straight-line wind damage throughout the area, along with flash flooding.
21.51998-03-29444°15'N / 94°20'W44°16'N / 94°16'W4.00 Miles2200 Yards0000Nicollet
 Brief Description: See narrative for Brown county.
24.62006-08-01343°54'N / 94°43'W43°53'N / 94°40'W1.50 Miles440 Yards002.0M0Watonwan
 Brief Description: Initial damage occurred at farmstead just east of the Watonwan/Cottonwood line. Damage included the partial removal of roofs off two large sheds, along with scattered downed trees. The tornado then moved across corn and bean fields. Another farmstead was hit just southwest of the intersection of County Roads 10 and 2. This was the location of the F3 damage. A house was leveled, a 60 foot concrete base silo was toppled and rolled. Virtually all barns, sheds and outbuildings were completely destroyed.
25.31962-05-18244°04'N / 94°48'W43°53'N / 93°59'W42.40 Miles50 Yards0025K0Watonwan
25.81952-06-23244°00'N / 95°17'W44°07'N / 95°05'W12.50 Miles220 Yards002.5M0Cottonwood
26.31981-06-23244°32'N / 95°05'W1.00 Mile20 Yards002.5M0Redwood
26.41998-03-29343°59'N / 95°26'W44°06'N / 94°56'W39.50 Miles900 Yards0330.0M0Cottonwood
 Brief Description: A strong tornado which began in Murray County tracked across Cottonwood County and then further northeast. The tornado destroyed numerous farms, farm equipment, buildings, trees, power lines and poles, vehicles, and other structures in its path. A vehicle was tossed a hundred yards as it hit the first farm in southwest Cottonwood County. People in the basement of the house on this farm received minor injuries. The tornado also destroyed a church near Jeffers, and destroyed numerous homes in the southern part of Comfrey, a city which is only partly in Cottonwood County.
27.41981-06-21244°39'N / 95°20'W44°25'N / 94°54'W26.60 Miles200 Yards00250K0Redwood
28.31980-08-18244°06'N / 94°12'W2.80 Miles20 Yards012.5M0Blue Earth
28.71992-06-16344°21'N / 95°22'W44°30'N / 95°09'W13.00 Miles80 Yards000K0Redwood
29.11976-06-14243°51'N / 95°06'W43°56'N / 95°00'W7.10 Miles300 Yards03250K0Cottonwood
30.32003-07-14244°07'N / 94°09'W44°07'N / 94°09'W0.50 Mile50 Yards00100K0Blue Earth
 Brief Description: The second tornado from a cyclic tornadic supercell touched down on the western edge of a farmstead. It snapped a dozen trees and demolished a barn and sheds. The roof of a house was peeled away and four vehicles were moved.
30.82003-06-24244°40'N / 94°36'W44°42'N / 94°37'W3.50 Miles880 Yards001.0M0Sibley
 Brief Description: The third tornado in a series touched down in Sibley County and moved straight north, occasionally stalling in place for minutes at a time. It heavily damaged two farmsteads, where all outbuildings and sheds were destroyed, and the houses sustained significant damage. It entered Renville County at 1845 CST and then into Buffalo Lake.
31.01968-03-18243°52'N / 94°24'W2.50 Miles83 Yards0025K0Watonwan
31.12006-08-24344°16'N / 94°16'W44°20'N / 93°57'W15.50 Miles880 Yards073.5M0Nicollet
 Brief Description: The tornado began with a very narrow path and gradually expanded to a half mile wide multiple vortex tornado. One home in Nicollet lost much of its upper floor, and other homes suffered major damage, including some bring shifted off their foundation. The tornado continued east along Highway 99, producing major damage to houses, farm buildings, and a power substation. It did its most severe damage on the southern outskirts of St. Peter, where a house was completely leveled. A total of 57 homes properties in Nicollet County were damaged, and several homes had to be totaled out. A spokesmen from the St. Peter Community Hospital said several persons were admitted with severe wounds, such as broken bones. The tornado crossed the Minnesota River near the southern city limits of St. Peter, and entered Le Sueur County near the city of Kasota (see separate entry).
32.02010-06-25244°06'N / 94°08'W44°05'N / 94°07'W1.00 Mile50 Yards000K0KBlue Earth
 Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Barn walls collapsed and a garage was pushed off its foundation. Power poles were snapped and multiple trees uprooted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: During the morning of Friday June 25th, a small complex of thunderstorms developed across west-central Minnesota, and quickly moved eastward across southern Minnesota. Isolated severe weather occurred with these storms in west-central Minnesota during the morning hours. During the afternoon, a larger complex of storms developed across western Minnesota, and moved quickly across portions of central and southern Minnesota during the evening. Damage was extensive as several bow echoes, supercells, and squall lines raced across the area. There were numerous reports of structural damage to farms and homesteads, very large hail, and very large trees blown down. Softball to baseball size hail was reported near New Ulm, Minnesota, with several reports of wind damage throughout southern, and east-central Minnesota. Several significant tornadoes occurred in portions of south central Minnesota during the late afternoon, and early evening hours. Two separate severe storms moved across the Twin Cities area, one produced minor damage with hail in the late afternoon, but the second that occurred in the early evening caused more straight-line wind damage throughout the area, along with flash flooding.
32.41992-06-16244°31'N / 95°15'W44°36'N / 95°12'W8.00 Miles30 Yards000K0Redwood
33.71998-03-29344°17'N / 94°10'W44°20'N / 93°57'W12.00 Miles2200 Yards10120.0M0Nicollet
 Brief Description: Tornado made a direct hit on the city of St. Peter and Gustavius Adolphus College. All major buildings on campus suffered varying degrees of damage. The spire on Christ Chapel snapped in half. 70% of the windows on campus were broken. 500 homes were destroyed in St. Peter, 1,700 were damaged. Over 1,000 trees uprooted. One person killed just outside St. Peter when the tornado struck a vehicle. St. Peter Catholic Church destroyed. Hospital severely damaged. Roof ripped off library. 25% of books lost. Debris from St. Peter found 50 miles away in southern suburbs of the Twin Cities. 60 rural homes and farms damaged or destroyed from Courtland to St. Peter. Rural damage estimated at 6.5 million. M6VE
34.12003-06-24244°43'N / 94°37'W44°45'N / 94°37'W2.00 Miles880 Yards0514.0M0Renville
 Brief Description: This third tornado entered Renville County at 1845 CST and entered the city of Buffalo Lake, where damage was significant. Five people sustained minor injuries. Roofs were blown off the Lutheran Church, as well as a number of homes and businesses. Sheds and garages were blown down, a grain elevator was destroyed, and hundreds of trees were broken. Video and a storm survey determined the tornado was multiple vortex. 29 houses were damaged beyond repair, 51 sustained major damage, and 120 more suffered minor damage.
34.11992-06-16244°34'N / 95°10'W44°40'N / 95°13'W5.50 Miles23 Yards000K0Redwood
35.61992-06-16244°39'N / 95°11'W5.00 Miles23 Yards000K0Renville
35.61992-06-16244°40'N / 95°06'W44°43'N / 95°06'W3.00 Miles13 Yards000K0Renville
36.41992-06-16243°57'N / 95°26'W44°06'N / 95°22'W7.50 Miles90 Yards000K0Cottonwood
36.41976-06-14243°46'N / 95°11'W43°51'N / 95°06'W6.40 Miles300 Yards03250K0Jackson
38.11992-06-16244°44'N / 95°06'W2.00 Miles20 Yards000K0Renville
38.21994-08-07243°57'N / 94°05'W5.00 Miles40 Yards0050K0Blue Earth
 Brief Description: This tornado touched down near County Road 10 in Lyra Township, 3 miles east of Vernon Center. As it tracked to the southeast, it damaged 4 barns, 2 mobile homes and 2 homes. It then entered Sterling Township, caused significant crop damage by flattening a path through a corn field. It damaged 3 more barns and 9 more homes before lifting off the ground about 1 mile east of Sterling Center. Despite the amount of damage, there were no injuries or fatalities. Overall, 12-14 buildings received structural damage and 7 barns were damaged.
39.21976-06-14243°55'N / 94°04'W44°15'N / 93°53'W24.60 Miles300 Yards162.5M0Blue Earth
39.31992-06-16244°31'N / 95°25'W44°39'N / 95°20'W12.00 Miles60 Yards000K0Redwood
39.62010-06-25244°00'N / 94°02'W43°58'N / 94°01'W2.00 Miles40 Yards000K0KBlue Earth
 Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado damaged several farmsteads. A barn was caved in on a side, roofs of hog barns were blown off, trees were snapped or uprooted, and a wood pole was snapped. EPISODE NARRATIVE: During the morning of Friday June 25th, a small complex of thunderstorms developed across west-central Minnesota, and quickly moved eastward across southern Minnesota. Isolated severe weather occurred with these storms in west-central Minnesota during the morning hours. During the afternoon, a larger complex of storms developed across western Minnesota, and moved quickly across portions of central and southern Minnesota during the evening. Damage was extensive as several bow echoes, supercells, and squall lines raced across the area. There were numerous reports of structural damage to farms and homesteads, very large hail, and very large trees blown down. Softball to baseball size hail was reported near New Ulm, Minnesota, with several reports of wind damage throughout southern, and east-central Minnesota. Several significant tornadoes occurred in portions of south central Minnesota during the late afternoon, and early evening hours. Two separate severe storms moved across the Twin Cities area, one produced minor damage with hail in the late afternoon, but the second that occurred in the early evening caused more straight-line wind damage throughout the area, along with flash flooding.
40.11992-06-16344°14'N / 95°35'W44°27'N / 95°29'W16.00 Miles90 Yards000K0Redwood
41.21960-06-23243°39'N / 94°44'W2.00 Miles33 Yards003K0Martin
42.31952-06-23244°23'N / 94°35'W44°50'N / 93°30'W61.60 Miles220 Yards002.5M0Nicollet
42.41998-03-29344°20'N / 93°57'W44°24'N / 93°50'W6.00 Miles2200 Yards0000Le Sueur
 Brief Description: See narrative for Nicollet county.
42.41953-07-25244°10'N / 93°53'W0.50 Mile67 Yards01250K0Blue Earth
42.51976-06-14244°15'N / 93°53'W44°17'N / 93°52'W000K0Le Sueur
42.51968-06-13544°16'N / 95°35'W44°18'N / 95°36'W002.5M0Redwood
43.11981-08-05244°45'N / 95°15'W00250K0Renville
43.91992-06-16244°19'N / 95°37'W2.00 Miles30 Yards000K0Lyon
44.91968-06-13544°12'N / 95°42'W44°16'N / 95°35'W6.80 Miles150 Yards91502.5M0Lyon
45.31977-07-27244°53'N / 94°32'W44°53'N / 94°29'W0025K0Meeker
46.11951-06-25243°34'N / 94°46'W43°36'N / 94°29'W14.20 Miles33 Yards00250K0Martin
46.81981-06-23244°50'N / 95°20'W44°47'N / 95°12'W6.80 Miles150 Yards00250K0Renville
47.91981-06-21244°47'N / 95°34'W44°39'N / 95°20'W14.40 Miles200 Yards00250K0Yellow Medicine
48.41977-05-04243°33'N / 94°38'W0025K0Martin
48.41965-05-06344°41'N / 94°10'W44°54'N / 94°04'W15.50 Miles167 Yards0025.0M0Sibley
48.61983-06-13244°54'N / 94°22'W1.00 Mile200 Yards002.5M0Mcleod
49.01965-05-06244°40'N / 93°59'W44°43'N / 93°56'W3.00 Miles667 Yards17525.0M0Sibley


* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.


 
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