Lester Prairie, MN Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Lester Prairie is about the same as Minnesota average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Lester Prairie is higher than Minnesota average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #530
| Lester Prairie, MN | 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
| Lester Prairie, MN | 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, #305
| Lester Prairie, MN | 168.32 |
| 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 4,271 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Lester Prairie, MN were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 16 | Cold: | 15 | Dense Fog: | 2 | Drought: | 0 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 164 | Hail: | 2,010 | Heat: | 7 | Heavy Snow: | 29 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 3 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 27 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,753 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 67 | Winter Weather: | 1 |
| Other: | 177 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Lester Prairie, MN.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Lester Prairie, MN.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Lester Prairie, MN.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 56 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Lester Prairie, MN.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 7.4 | 1965-05-06 | 3 | 44°41'N / 94°10'W | 44°54'N / 94°04'W | 15.50 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Sibley |
| 10.0 | 1965-05-06 | 2 | 44°43'N / 93°56'W | 44°50'N / 93°52'W | 8.20 Miles | 667 Yards | 0 | 100 | 25.0M | 0 | Carver |
| 13.5 | 1951-06-19 | 4 | 44°53'N / 94°22'W | 45°12'N / 93°23'W | 52.60 Miles | 330 Yards | 0 | 11 | 2.5M | 0 | Mcleod |
| 13.8 | 1965-05-06 | 2 | 44°40'N / 93°59'W | 44°43'N / 93°56'W | 3.00 Miles | 667 Yards | 1 | 75 | 25.0M | 0 | Sibley |
| 14.7 | 1965-05-06 | 4 | 44°47'N / 93°45'W | 44°54'N / 93°44'W | 7.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 3 | 87 | 25.0M | 0 | Carver |
| 15.2 | 1965-05-06 | 4 | 44°54'N / 93°44'W | 44°58'N / 93°44'W | 4.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 88 | 25.0M | 0 | Hennepin |
| 15.4 | 1992-06-16 | 3 | 45°01'N / 94°14'W | 45°09'N / 94°07'W | 10.00 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 8 | 0K | 0 | Wright |
| 16.2 | 1983-06-13 | 2 | 44°54'N / 94°22'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Mcleod | |
| 18.1 | 1997-07-01 | 3 | 45°07'N / 94°01'W | 45°10'N / 93°56'W | 5.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Wright |
| Brief Description: House completely destroyed on west side of Birch Lake. | |||||||||||
| 19.0 | 1952-06-23 | 2 | 44°23'N / 94°35'W | 44°50'N / 93°30'W | 61.60 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Nicollet |
| 23.1 | 1977-07-27 | 2 | 44°53'N / 94°32'W | 44°53'N / 94°29'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Meeker | ||
| 23.2 | 1981-06-14 | 2 | 45°13'N / 93°59'W | 2.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wright | |
| 24.7 | 1965-05-06 | 4 | 44°51'N / 93°32'W | 44°57'N / 93°32'W | 6.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Carver |
| 26.9 | 1977-05-21 | 2 | 44°34'N / 93°37'W | 44°48'N / 93°31'W | 16.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Scott |
| 27.2 | 1952-06-23 | 2 | 44°50'N / 93°30'W | 44°51'N / 93°28'W | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Hennepin | ||
| 27.9 | 1992-06-16 | 2 | 45°14'N / 94°04'W | 45°20'N / 93°51'W | 10.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Wright |
| 29.3 | 1997-07-01 | 2 | 45°18'N / 93°56'W | 45°17'N / 93°49'W | 5.00 Miles | 550 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Wright |
| Brief Description: Two tornadoes converged on the Prairie Acres housing development 1 south of Monticello at about the same time. Extensive damage in area. | |||||||||||
| 29.6 | 1997-07-01 | 2 | 45°16'N / 93°49'W | 45°18'N / 93°49'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Wright |
| 30.0 | 1952-06-24 | 2 | 44°20'N / 93°51'W | 45°07'N / 93°05'W | 65.80 Miles | 267 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Le Sueur |
| 30.2 | 2003-06-24 | 2 | 44°43'N / 94°37'W | 44°45'N / 94°37'W | 2.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 5 | 14.0M | 0 | Renville |
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 31.1 | 1977-05-21 | 2 | 44°31'N / 93°38'W | 44°34'N / 93°37'W | 2.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Le Sueur |
| 31.2 | 2003-06-24 | 2 | 44°40'N / 94°36'W | 44°42'N / 94°37'W | 3.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Sibley |
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 32.0 | 1951-07-20 | 3 | 44°56'N / 93°30'W | 44°53'N / 93°16'W | 11.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 5 | 40 | 25.0M | 0 | Hennepin |
| 32.2 | 2006-09-16 | 2 | 45°12'N / 93°38'W | 45°14'N / 93°31'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 0 | 30.0M | 0 | Hennepin |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down on the western edge of Sylvan Lake and moved quickly northeast. It produced F0 damage to some farms and rural residences in Hassan Township before strengthening and entering the northwest corner of Rogers. It gained F2 status briefly as it moved through a residential neighborhood in Rogers, where it took the life of a 10 year old girl in a home. A home weather station 2/3 mile southeast of the tornado at this point measured 65 mph inflow winds. The tornado crossed Interstate 94 and entered another neighborhood, where F1 damage was produced. One house with significant damage had a home weather station in the back yard. Once the data were retrieved, its peak gust was found to have reached 105 mph. The tornado then moved into the northern tip of Dayton, alternating between F0 and F1 damage, then exited Hennepin County, crossed the Mississippi River and entered the city of Ramsey in Anoka County (see separate entry). The maximum width in Hennepin County was 100 yards, although its maximum width in Anoka County was only 25 yards. F10PH | |||||||||||
| 33.0 | 1966-07-05 | 2 | 45°09'N / 93°29'W | 45°04'N / 93°24'W | 6.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hennepin |
| 35.2 | 1987-07-23 | 3 | 45°09'N / 93°29'W | 45°07'N / 93°20'W | 5.00 Miles | 170 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Hennepin |
| 35.6 | 1979-05-22 | 2 | 44°49'N / 93°19'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Hennepin | |
| 35.6 | 1965-05-06 | 4 | 44°59'N / 93°23'W | 45°03'N / 93°17'W | 5.90 Miles | 667 Yards | 6 | 50 | 25.0M | 0 | Hennepin |
| 36.4 | 1998-03-29 | 3 | 44°20'N / 93°57'W | 44°24'N / 93°50'W | 6.00 Miles | 2200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Le Sueur |
| Brief Description: See narrative for Nicollet county. | |||||||||||
| 37.3 | 1998-03-29 | 2 | 44°22'N / 93°50'W | 44°26'N / 93°34'W | 17.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 2 | 20.0M | 0 | Le Sueur |
| Brief Description: Tornado tracked through Le Center and adjoining rural areas. Most of the businesses in the southern part of town were damaged. Buildings destroyed at county fairgrounds. 15 mobiles homes at a trailer park destroyed, another 26 suffering major damage. Over 100 farm buildings destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 37.6 | 1981-06-14 | 2 | 44°23'N / 93°44'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Le Sueur | |
| 38.6 | 1986-07-18 | 2 | 45°00'N / 93°17'W | 45°10'N / 93°19'W | 2.00 Miles | 833 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Hennepin |
| 39.2 | 1967-07-22 | 2 | 45°28'N / 94°08'W | 45°26'N / 93°50'W | 14.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Sherburne |
| 39.7 | 1951-06-19 | 4 | 45°12'N / 93°23'W | 45°13'N / 93°21'W | 1 | 9 | 2.5M | 0 | Anoka | ||
| 39.7 | 1998-03-29 | 3 | 44°17'N / 94°10'W | 44°20'N / 93°57'W | 12.00 Miles | 2200 Yards | 1 | 0 | 120.0M | 0 | Nicollet |
| 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 | |||||||||||
| 40.2 | 1981-06-14 | 3 | 44°49'N / 93°16'W | 44°53'N / 93°10'W | 6.20 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 23 | 25.0M | 0 | Hennepin |
| 40.4 | 2006-08-24 | 3 | 44°16'N / 94°16'W | 44°20'N / 93°57'W | 15.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 7 | 3.5M | 0 | Nicollet |
| 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). | |||||||||||
| 40.5 | 1965-05-06 | 4 | 45°02'N / 93°17'W | 45°08'N / 93°14'W | 6.80 Miles | 1000 Yards | 3 | 175 | 25.0M | 0 | Anoka |
| 40.7 | 1986-07-18 | 2 | 45°10'N / 93°19'W | 45°09'N / 93°17'W | 2.00 Miles | 833 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Anoka |
| 40.7 | 1967-07-22 | 2 | 45°28'N / 94°11'W | 45°28'N / 94°08'W | 1.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Stearns |
| 40.9 | 1984-04-26 | 3 | 45°01'N / 93°14'W | 45°02'N / 93°13'W | 1.00 Mile | 60 Yards | 1 | 52 | 25.0M | 0 | Hennepin |
| 42.0 | 1983-07-03 | 4 | 45°13'N / 93°19'W | 1.00 Mile | 67 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Anoka | |
| 42.2 | 1965-05-06 | 4 | 45°03'N / 93°17'W | 45°08'N / 93°10'W | 7.60 Miles | 667 Yards | 0 | 108 | 25.0M | 0 | Ramsey |
| 42.4 | 1984-04-26 | 3 | 45°02'N / 93°13'W | 45°06'N / 93°12'W | 4.50 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Ramsey |
| 42.6 | 2005-09-21 | 2 | 45°10'N / 93°19'W | 45°11'N / 93°13'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 5.0M | 0 | Anoka |
| Brief Description: A damage survey determined that the tornado touched down in the east central portion of Coon Rapids, only a few blocks west of the border with Blaine. It traveled east-southeast causing mostly F0 to F1 damage at first, but strengthened to F2 status near the intersection of Jefferson Street and 104th Court. The tornado dissipated only 1/4 mile west of the National Sports Center complex. Ten homes were rendered uninhabitable, and thirty others were damaged to a lesser extent. A woman suffered minor injuries when she was blown from the upper story of her home into a tree. | |||||||||||
| 43.1 | 1998-03-29 | 2 | 44°28'N / 93°26'W | 44°28'N / 93°20'W | 5.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 20.0M | 0 | Rice |
| Brief Description: Four homes and 6 businesses severely damaged. Street department building damaged. 20 farms damaged or destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 43.3 | 1976-06-14 | 2 | 44°15'N / 93°53'W | 44°17'N / 93°52'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Le Sueur | ||
| 43.7 | 2006-08-24 | 3 | 44°18'N / 93°58'W | 44°15'N / 93°37'W | 17.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 30 | 20.0M | 4.0M | Le Sueur |
| Brief Description: The F3 tornado that began in Nicollet County at 1630 CST moved into Le Sueur County near the northern city limits of Kasota. Over 100 homes suffered some damage, dozens of homes had major damage, and three were completely leveled. The tornado moved east-northeast for about ten miles in Le Sueur County, then turned and moved east-southeast until dissipation. Hundreds of farm animals were killed, including 200 cows at a large dairy. Approximately five thousand acres of corn and soybeans were estimated to be ruined across the county. A State Farm spokeswoman said the company expected 4,500 homeowner claims and 8,000 auto claims from the storm. Some information provided by the Star Tribune newspaper. A 91 year old man perished in the upper floor of his home when a tree crashed through the roof. M91PH | |||||||||||
| 45.1 | 1998-03-29 | 4 | 44°15'N / 94°20'W | 44°16'N / 94°16'W | 4.00 Miles | 2200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nicollet |
| Brief Description: See narrative for Brown county. | |||||||||||
| 45.2 | 2010-06-25 | 2 | 44°16'N / 94°21'W | 44°15'N / 94°16'W | 4.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Nicollet |
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 46.4 | 1998-03-29 | 2 | 44°33'N / 93°15'W | 44°33'N / 93°11'W | 3.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Dakota |
| 47.1 | 1980-09-03 | 3 | 45°32'N / 94°13'W | 45°35'N / 94°09'W | 3.80 Miles | 60 Yards | 1 | 15 | 25.0M | 0 | Stearns |
| 48.2 | 1965-05-06 | 4 | 45°08'N / 93°10'W | 45°10'N / 93°05'W | 3.80 Miles | 667 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Anoka |
| 48.4 | 1953-03-21 | 2 | 45°35'N / 94°05'W | 1 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Stearns | |||
| 48.5 | 2010-06-25 | 2 | 44°20'N / 94°39'W | 44°20'N / 94°39'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Brown | ||
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 49.2 | 1968-05-15 | 2 | 44°28'N / 93°14'W | 44°29'N / 93°12'W | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Rice | ||
* 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.