Owatonna, MN Tornado History — 133 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Owatonna, MN had?
Owatonna has had 133 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 11 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Owatonna?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Owatonna was an Unrated on August 29, 2025.
When is tornado season in Owatonna?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Owatonna, with 37 on record. April through June account for 69 of the 133 tornadoes on record near Owatonna.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Owatonna
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 62 total, averaging 3.1 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Owatonna since December 29, 2025
This is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Trained spotter relayed tornado video via social media. Location and time estimated by radar. (MPX)
Within 25 miles of Owatonna. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Owatonna
4 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Owatonna and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on April 28, 2025 and the most recent on August 29, 2025. They are already counted in the Owatonna totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
[Landspout] Brief landspout tornado video captured over farm field south of MN60. No damage observed. Location and time approximate based on radar. (MPX)
Law enforcement reports a tornado southwest of Ellendale... moving northeast. (MPX)
Brief tornado visible in video and photos of structure damage to a farm. Lofted debris blown downstream about a mile. Time estimated from radar. (MPX)
Delayed report A group of trees sustained damage and an outbuilding lost roof and wall panels. (MPX)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Owatonna
21 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Owatonna since 1950, across 6 events. 149 injuries have been reported across all events. 1967 was the deadliest year on record near Owatonna.
The deadliest single event was an F4 on April 30, 1967, which caused 6 fatalities along a 20.1-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Owatonna
What the record shows near Owatonna
The 2010s were the busiest decade near Owatonna, with 39 of the 133 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 20 so far. The Owatonna record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Owatonna, 109 reached EF0 or EF1 and 22 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Owatonna is rated EF4, of which 3 are logged. A further 2 near Owatonna are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Owatonna has averaged 3.1 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 62 in total. 2018 was the busiest of them with 18, and 8 of those years passed with none at all.