West Union, MN Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in West Union is about the same as Minnesota average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in West Union is lower than Minnesota average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #95
| West Union, MN | 0.01 |
| 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
| West Union, 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, #663
| West Union, MN | 105.81 |
| 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 2,305 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of West Union, 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: | 14 | Cold: | 27 | Dense Fog: | 2 | Drought: | 11 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 73 | Hail: | 1,095 | Heat: | 8 | Heavy Snow: | 37 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 3 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 27 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 827 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 71 | Winter Weather: | 1 |
| Other: | 109 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near West Union, MN.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near West Union, MN.
No historical earthquake events found in or near West Union, MN.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 37 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near West Union, MN.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 14.5 | 1959-07-07 | 2 | 45°40'N / 95°28'W | 45°48'N / 95°16'W | 13.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pope |
| 15.2 | 1980-09-03 | 2 | 45°38'N / 94°53'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Stearns | |
| 18.6 | 1964-06-18 | 3 | 45°38'N / 95°28'W | 45°42'N / 95°22'W | 6.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 13 | 250K | 0 | Pope |
| 19.3 | 1990-06-01 | 2 | 45°57'N / 95°20'W | 46°05'N / 95°21'W | 10.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Douglas |
| 20.2 | 1970-07-18 | 2 | 46°03'N / 95°21'W | 46°03'N / 95°16'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Douglas |
| 20.2 | 1996-10-26 | 2 | 45°49'N / 95°29'W | 45°56'N / 95°30'W | 9.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Douglas |
| Brief Description: Several homes destroyed. Car flipped over. 1 women sustained broken bones and internal injuries when a portion of her house, with her inside, was flung 200 feet onto the interstate. 500 pound fuel tank pushed over. | |||||||||||
| 20.3 | 1964-05-05 | 3 | 45°35'N / 94°47'W | 45°39'N / 94°44'W | 4.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Stearns |
| 23.4 | 1965-05-05 | 2 | 45°54'N / 95°25'W | 46°12'N / 95°25'W | 20.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Douglas |
| 26.2 | 1996-10-26 | 2 | 45°35'N / 94°38'W | 45°38'N / 94°36'W | 5.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Stearns |
| Brief Description: House collapsed on top of family. Outbuildings destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 29.2 | 1954-08-15 | 2 | 45°25'N / 95°30'W | 45°31'N / 95°24'W | 7.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Swift |
| 29.7 | 2009-07-14 | 2 | 45°24'N / 95°24'W | 45°27'N / 95°21'W | 4.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 50K | Pope |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service storm survey and visual reports confirmed that a tornado moved through portions of Swift and Pope Counties in west central Minnesota where two turkey barns and several outbuildings were destroyed, with extensive tree damage throughout the entire path. Maximum damage was EF-2 with estimated winds of 111-119 mph. In the town of Swift Falls, two residences were damaged along with two garages that were destroyed. The tornado was produced minor crop damage northeast of Swift Falls. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong cold front, deep moisture and a high shear environment led to severe weather across portions of central Minnesota late Tuesday afternoon and evening of July 14th. Several individual storms developed across west central Minnesota and moved quickly northeast and spawned three tornadoes near Swift Falls, Elrosa and Spicer, Minnesota. In addition, several strong thunderstorms tracked across northern Todd and far northwestern Morrison County where two to four inches of rain fell in a short period of time. Due to the highly moist environment, and high rainfall rates, several areas of urban flooding was reported. One was in the community of Staples, and another was in St. Cloud. | |||||||||||
| 30.1 | 2001-06-13 | 3 | 46°10'N / 95°20'W | 46°17'N / 95°09'W | 11.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 5.0M | 0 | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: The tornado caused quite a bit of damage along its path across southeast Otter Tail county before it crossed into Todd county. At one farmstead, 9 people huddled inside a house with no basement as its roof was torn off. Nobody was injured, but another trailer home nearby was completely destroyed. Many irrigation systems were overturned, trees, power poles, and lines snapped, and grain bins destroyed by the strong wind. An estimated 100 poles were broken off leaving nearly 1,100 people without power. At another farm, a 40x80 foot pole barn was wrecked. About 6 miles northeast of Parkers Prairie, a man and his two kids rode out the storm in their minivan inside a quonset. Trees all around them and the quonset were crumpled by the wind, yet they survived. Another farmstead lost a house, trailer home, and two silos. A turkey barn containing 12,000 turkeys was also hit, with an estimated 60 percent of the turkeys perishing. | |||||||||||
| 32.7 | 2001-06-13 | 2 | 45°59'N / 94°32'W | 46°04'N / 94°26'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Morrison |
| Brief Description: One home lost its roof. Several sheds and outbuildings blown down. Two additional homes sustained minor damage. | |||||||||||
| 32.7 | 2001-06-13 | 3 | 46°16'N / 95°09'W | 46°17'N / 95°07'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10K | 0 | Todd |
| Brief Description: NWS Grand Forks damage survey revealed an F3 tornado touch down in Otter Tail County, one mile NW of Parkers Prairie at 1753 CST. It tracked to just southeast of Wrightstown, for an 11 mile path in Otter Tail County. It then continued on for one mile in Todd County where it dissipated 3 WNW of Bertha. Total path length 12 miles. | |||||||||||
| 33.5 | 2009-07-14 | 2 | 45°22'N / 95°28'W | 45°24'N / 95°24'W | 4.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 50K | Swift |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service storm survey and visual reports confirmed that a tornado moved through portions of Swift and Pope Counties in west central Minnesota where two turkey barns and several outbuildings were destroyed, with extensive tree damage throughout the entire path. Maximum damage was EF-2 with estimated winds of 111-119 mph. In the town of Swift Falls, two residences were damaged along with two garages that were destroyed. The tornado was produced minor crop damage northeast of Swift Falls. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong cold front, deep moisture and a high shear environment led to severe weather across portions of central Minnesota late Tuesday afternoon and evening of July 14th. Several individual storms developed across west central Minnesota and moved quickly northeast and spawned three tornadoes near Swift Falls, Elrosa and Spicer, Minnesota. In addition, several strong thunderstorms tracked across northern Todd and far northwestern Morrison County where two to four inches of rain fell in a short period of time. Due to the highly moist environment, and high rainfall rates, several areas of urban flooding was reported. One was in the community of Staples, and another was in St. Cloud. | |||||||||||
| 34.0 | 1958-06-04 | 2 | 45°36'N / 94°35'W | 45°36'N / 94°18'W | 13.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Stearns |
| 34.5 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 45°47'N / 95°53'W | 45°53'N / 95°43'W | 11.50 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant |
| 35.6 | 1987-08-15 | 2 | 46°03'N / 95°44'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 1 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Otter Tail | |
| 36.5 | 1953-05-10 | 2 | 45°25'N / 95°45'W | 45°40'N / 95°44'W | 17.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pope |
| 36.7 | 1952-06-23 | 2 | 45°18'N / 95°30'W | 45°21'N / 95°20'W | 8.40 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Swift |
| 39.0 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 45°46'N / 95°54'W | 45°47'N / 95°53'W | 1.00 Mile | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Stevens |
| 39.6 | 2010-06-17 | 4 | 46°06'N / 95°25'W | 46°36'N / 95°15'W | 38.00 Miles | 2288 Yards | 1 | 5 | 0K | 0K | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado began in Douglas County, Minnesota. It moved northward into Otter Tail County and produced an additional 38 miles of continuous damage path. The tornado destroyed numerous homes and farmsteads along its path, completely sweeping 7 homes from their foundations. At times, this multi-vortex tornado complex consisted of multiple tornadic tubes pivoting around a common center. Peak winds were estimated at 175 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Conditions were ripe by the afternoon of the 17th for a major severe weather outbreak. A surface low had moved into east central North Dakota with an occluded front extending to the southeast. Warm and humid air was in place ahead of the front, with a much drier airmass pushing in behind it. The 500mb low was located over northwest North Dakota with a nice southwest to northeast upper jet pushing into eastern North Dakota. Two lines of convection formed by late afternoon, one from Roseau County down toward Eastern Otter Tail County and the other over east central North Dakota. Nearly all the cells that formed took on a classic hook shape with rotation very evident on radar imagery. Multiple tornado warnings were issued before the event wound down by mid evening. The strongest tornadoes were determined to be EF4 tornadoes, two in west central Minnesota and one in northeast North Dakota. | |||||||||||
| 40.1 | 2000-07-08 | 2 | 46°24'N / 95°01'W | 46°21'N / 94°52'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 500K | 0 | Wadena |
| Brief Description: A tornado that formed near Verndale intensified as it reached the Aldrich area. A mobile home, garage, barn, and 3 vehicles were destroyed 3 miles east of Aldrich. Two people, inside the mobile home when the tornado hit, suffered cuts, bruises, and a sprained ankle. The couples' son, sitting inside a car parked outside the mobile home, also sustained cuts and bruises. A horse trailer was pushed into his car and then into some nearby trees. Quite a bit of tree damage occurred along the damage path. The tornado then passed out of Wadena county and into Todd county. | |||||||||||
| 40.1 | 1966-07-10 | 2 | 46°26'N / 95°07'W | 46°20'N / 95°00'W | 8.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wadena |
| 40.3 | 1970-07-18 | 2 | 45°45'N / 94°15'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Benton | |
| 40.7 | 2000-07-08 | 2 | 46°22'N / 94°49'W | 46°21'N / 94°47'W | 2.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Todd |
| Brief Description: Roofs blown off homes and one business. At least one dozen homes damaged. Numerous large trees down. One minor injury in Staples due to flying glass. Tornado crossed over from Wadena county. | |||||||||||
| 41.9 | 2001-06-11 | 2 | 45°19'N / 95°37'W | 45°16'N / 95°29'W | 8.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 7 | 10.0M | 0 | Swift |
| Brief Description: After several brief tornadoes around Danvers, a much larger tornado struck the east side of Benson and travelled southeast along Highway 212. 71 structures were damaged, including 4 homes and 7 businesses that had to be demolished. The tornado lifted off in DeGraff, but not before damaging one last grain bin, taking the roof off a grain elevator, and knocking several sheds down in DeGraff. Seven people were injured when they fled a van just as the tornado was hitting the vehicle on the eastern edge of Benson. One boy was critically injured but survived and was discharged from the hospital two weeks later. Damage listed encompasses damages from all tornadoes and wind events in Swift County. | |||||||||||
| 41.9 | 2010-06-17 | 4 | 46°24'N / 95°10'W | 46°25'N / 95°09'W | 2.00 Miles | 1936 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado touched down in Otter Tail County and tracked northeastward for about 2 miles before crossing into Wadena County just southwest of the Wadena city limits. The tornado developed rapidly into a multi-vortex wedge type tornado as it approached Wadena. The tornado continued in Wadena County another 8 miles and ended about 516 PM CDT. Otter Tail County received mainly extreme tree damage with peak winds estimated at 170 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Conditions were ripe by the afternoon of the 17th for a major severe weather outbreak. A surface low had moved into east central North Dakota with an occluded front extending to the southeast. Warm and humid air was in place ahead of the front, with a much drier airmass pushing in behind it. The 500mb low was located over northwest North Dakota with a nice southwest to northeast upper jet pushing into eastern North Dakota. Two lines of convection formed by late afternoon, one from Roseau County down toward Eastern Otter Tail County and the other over east central North Dakota. Nearly all the cells that formed took on a classic hook shape with rotation very evident on radar imagery. Multiple tornado warnings were issued before the event wound down by mid evening. The strongest tornadoes were determined to be EF4 tornadoes, two in west central Minnesota and one in northeast North Dakota. | |||||||||||
| 42.9 | 1997-09-18 | 2 | 45°53'N / 94°18'W | 45°53'N / 94°06'W | 8.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Morrison |
| Brief Description: Several buildings severely damaged. Numerous trees and power lines down. | |||||||||||
| 43.4 | 1981-03-25 | 2 | 45°50'N / 94°11'W | 3.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Morrison | |
| 43.5 | 2005-06-20 | 2 | 46°25'N / 95°14'W | 46°26'N / 95°13'W | 0.30 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: A potato warehouse was completely torn apart by the tornado and debris was scattered several hundred feet downwind (east). Other nearby structures were not seriously damaged. A turkey barn roof was also partially removed. Estimated wind speeds were around 150 mph. | |||||||||||
| 45.0 | 1996-10-26 | 2 | 46°19'N / 95°22'W | 46°31'N / 95°26'W | 17.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 1 | 400K | 0 | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: This tornado followed a track through eastern Otter Tail county, with the first damage report along Highway 210. A man stopped his car along the road when he saw the threatening clouds. The tornado picked his car up and spun it around, with the man inside. The car windows were all broken, but the man only sustained cuts on his hands. The tornado destroyed several farm buildings, one full of dairy cows. 21 of the cows were killed. The last damage report was just west of New York Mills. Two deer hunters were in tree stands when the storm approached. One managed to get down to the ground and lay flat, but the other clung to the tree as the tornado passed. As the wind died down, the man found his tree was the only one left standing in a grove of 36 around him. Neither man was injured. | |||||||||||
| 45.0 | 1977-08-26 | 2 | 46°26'N / 95°10'W | 46°28'N / 94°46'W | 19.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Wadena |
| 45.8 | 2010-06-17 | 4 | 46°25'N / 95°09'W | 46°31'N / 95°01'W | 8.00 Miles | 1936 Yards | 0 | 20 | 0K | 0K | Wadena |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This multi-vortex wedge tornado began in Otter Tail County about 3 miles southwest of the city of Wadena at 459 PM CDT. It tracked for about 2 miles in Otter Tail County, then it continued for another 8 miles in Wadena County. The tornado ravaged the western half of the community of Wadena. Numerous homes were flattened to the ground and at least one was completely swept from its foundation and destroyed. Public and industrial buildings were wrecked, the fairgrounds were damaged, and headstones in the cemetery were overturned. School buses and vehicles were propelled through the air for hundreds of yards. The tornado hit on the day of the Wadena all-school reunion, so many additional people were in the area. Roughly 100 people were displaced from their homes. Peak winds were estimated at 170 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Conditions were ripe by the afternoon of the 17th for a major severe weather outbreak. A surface low had moved into east central North Dakota with an occluded front extending to the southeast. Warm and humid air was in place ahead of the front, with a much drier airmass pushing in behind it. The 500mb low was located over northwest North Dakota with a nice southwest to northeast upper jet pushing into eastern North Dakota. Two lines of convection formed by late afternoon, one from Roseau County down toward Eastern Otter Tail County and the other over east central North Dakota. Nearly all the cells that formed took on a classic hook shape with rotation very evident on radar imagery. Multiple tornado warnings were issued before the event wound down by mid evening. The strongest tornadoes were determined to be EF4 tornadoes, two in west central Minnesota and one in northeast North Dakota. | |||||||||||
| 46.0 | 1992-06-16 | 2 | 45°19'N / 95°44'W | 1.50 Miles | 13 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Swift | |
| 46.6 | 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 |
| 48.4 | 1977-08-26 | 2 | 46°18'N / 96°12'W | 46°26'N / 95°10'W | 50.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Otter Tail |
* 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.