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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Preston, MN

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Preston, Minnesota since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 87 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
0

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
87

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
7

16 deaths in all

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Preston

By decade

  • 2020s21
  • 2010s12
  • 2000s7(1 EF3+)
  • 1990s14(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s6
  • 1970s4
  • 1960s20(3 EF3+)
  • 1950s3(2 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Preston, Minnesota
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 15, 1968F516 mi62.1 mi13 / 462
May 10, 1953F44 mi162 mi2 / 24
May 5, 1965F414 mi41.6 mi0 / 11
May 20, 1953F318 mi116.1 mi1 / 0
Jun 11, 2004F323 mi12 mi0 / 0
Jul 19, 1994F320 mi23 mi0 / 0
May 5, 1965F311 mi65.2 mi0 / 7
May 22, 2011EF27 mi28.68 mi0 / 3
May 17, 1982F222 mi26 mi0 / 3
Jun 5, 1980F221 mi5.7 mi0 / 0
Jul 14, 1977F28 mi9.2 mi0 / 10
May 15, 1968F222 mi4.7 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 87, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Preston while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

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