USA.com / Minnesota / Otter Tail County / Fergus Falls, MN / 56538 / Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
56538 Zip Code Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in 56538 Zip Code is about the same as Minnesota average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in 56538 Zip Code is about the same as Minnesota average and is about the same as the national average.
Earthquake Index, #86
| 56538 Zip Code | 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
| 56538 Zip Code | 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, #526
| 56538 Zip Code | 137.91 |
| 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 1,999 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of 56538 Zip Code 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: | 0 | Cold: | 0 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 0 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 159 | Hail: | 1,021 | Heat: | 0 | Heavy Snow: | 0 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 0 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 0 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 720 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 0 | Winter Weather: | 0 |
| Other: | 99 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near 56538 Zip Code.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near 56538 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 42.4 | 1975-07-09 | 5 | N/A | 45.67 | -96.04 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 41 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near 56538 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 5.7 | 1974-07-13 | 2 | 46°19'N / 96°04'W | 46°23'N / 95°57'W | 6.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Otter Tail |
| 9.0 | 2005-06-29 | 2 | 46°22'N / 95°57'W | 46°23'N / 95°56'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: The tornado flattened an older barn and uprooted several trees. Two people narrowly escaped the tornado as it hit the barn. The landowner reported that another tornado had hit another barn on same site back in 1933. Peak winds were estimated at 130 mph. | |||||||||||
| 17.4 | 1982-05-10 | 3 | 46°02'N / 96°16'W | 46°04'N / 96°10'W | 6.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant |
| 19.6 | 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 |
| 19.9 | 2002-06-19 | 2 | 46°32'N / 96°17'W | 46°32'N / 96°17'W | 0.20 Mile | 25 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wilkin |
| Brief Description: A brief tornado touchdown demolished a 76x296 foot roof on a turkey barn. | |||||||||||
| 20.2 | 1982-05-10 | 3 | 46°01'N / 96°17'W | 46°02'N / 96°16'W | 1.00 Mile | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Traverse |
| 22.1 | 1950-06-15 | 2 | 46°35'N / 96°20'W | 46°31'N / 96°20'W | 4.60 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 4 | 3K | 0 | Wilkin |
| 23.0 | 1987-08-15 | 2 | 46°03'N / 95°44'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 1 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Otter Tail | |
| 23.3 | 1982-05-10 | 3 | 46°01'N / 96°28'W | 46°01'N / 96°17'W | 8.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Traverse |
| 23.6 | 1964-05-05 | 2 | 46°36'N / 95°59'W | 46°38'N / 95°57'W | 0 | 13 | 250K | 0 | Otter Tail | ||
| 24.0 | 2007-06-07 | 2 | 46°34'N / 96°00'W | 46°40'N / 95°52'W | 7.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down near the southwest end of Lake Lida, crossed Lake Lida and Crystal Lake (moving north-northeast), and lifted around 4 miles west of Vergas. Several houses were structurally damaged on Lake Lida and Crystal Lake. Boats, docks, travel trailers, and mobile homes were lofted and completely destroyed. Numerous power poles and trees were snapped off, cutting power to nearly 400 customers. Peak winds were estimated at 130 to 135 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: By noon on the 7th, a surface low was located near Lake Park, Minnesota, with a trailing cold front extending back into extreme southeast North Dakota. An occluded front also extended to the northeast, toward the Bemidji, MN, area. Surface dew points pooled right around 60 F in the vicinity of the surface low with temperatures in the middle 70s. The cold front was strong for early June, with a noon temperature in Devils Lake, ND, of 48 degrees. This set up a strong surface thermal and moisture boundary along a Wahpeton-Breckenridge to Bemidji line. Storms initially fired across southeast ND and then spread into portions of west central and northwest MN. There was also strong upper level support for these storms, as one severe report north of Embden (in Cass County, ND) occurred well behind the surface boundary. | |||||||||||
| 24.1 | 2010-08-07 | 4 | 46°07'N / 96°33'W | 46°09'N / 96°31'W | 3.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Wilkin |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado began in Richland County, North Dakota, at 625 pm CDT, where it had a path length of 2.5 miles. It continued in Wilkin County, Minnesota, where it finally lifted about 2.5 miles southwest of Doran. The total path length was roughly five miles and peak winds were estimated at 175 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: By late in the day on the 7th, an east-west lying warm front had set up just north of the South Dakota border, extending eastward into west central Minnesota. South of the warm front, temperatures were in the mid to upper 80s with dew points in the lower 70s. Thunderstorms formed along and north of the warm front and several produced tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 25.6 | 1964-05-05 | 3 | 46°08'N / 96°34'W | 46°08'N / 96°34'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wilkin | ||
| 25.6 | 2005-06-20 | 2 | 46°27'N / 95°38'W | 46°26'N / 95°33'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: Large trees were uprooted and a roof was torn off a house. The top was torn off a wooden grain elevator in Ottertail and a nearby grain bin was bent inward. A gas pump was blown over at a convenience store, causing a fire. The tornado also tore the roof off a business in Ottertail and destroyed its sign. A delivery truck was lifted off the ground and thrown 20 feet onto a nearby car. | |||||||||||
| 26.5 | 1959-07-07 | 2 | 46°30'N / 95°37'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Otter Tail | |
| 26.8 | 2004-09-05 | 2 | 46°31'N / 95°41'W | 46°34'N / 95°38'W | 4.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Otter Tail |
| Brief Description: A tornado tracked through pasture, forest, and corn fields. Numerous trees were knocked down and one farmstead received extensive barn, shed, and home damage. Twelve head of cattle were killed. Several trees were toppled onto homes near Marion Lake. Farmyard debris was carried as far as Perham, about 7 miles northeast. | |||||||||||
| 26.8 | 1955-07-02 | 3 | 46°31'N / 96°42'W | 46°16'N / 96°32'W | 18.70 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Wilkin |
| 27.3 | 2010-08-07 | 4 | 46°06'N / 96°37'W | 46°06'N / 96°33'W | 3.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Richland |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado touched down south of Tyler and tracked to the east for roughly 2.5 miles before crossing the Bois de Sioux River into Wilkin County, Minnesota. In Wilkin County, the tornado continued for another 2.5 miles and lifted about 650 pm CDT. The total track length was about 5 miles and peak winds were estimated at 175 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: By late in the day on the 7th, an east-west lying warm front had set up just north of the South Dakota border, extending eastward into west central Minnesota. South of the warm front, temperatures were in the mid to upper 80s with dew points in the lower 70s. Thunderstorms formed along and north of the warm front and several produced tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 27.6 | 1964-05-05 | 3 | 46°03'N / 96°36'W | 46°08'N / 96°34'W | 5.20 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 11 | 0K | 0 | Richland |
| 33.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 33.8 | 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 |
| 34.5 | 1965-05-05 | 2 | 46°28'N / 95°25'W | 46°32'N / 95°26'W | 3.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Douglas |
| 34.8 | 1960-08-25 | 2 | 46°42'N / 95°40'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Otter Tail | |||
| 35.5 | 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 |
| 35.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 36.2 | 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 |
| 38.4 | 1959-06-09 | 2 | 46°43'N / 96°33'W | 46°51'N / 96°19'W | 14.10 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
| 38.8 | 1952-07-16 | 2 | 46°43'N / 96°32'W | 46°50'N / 96°25'W | 9.40 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Aitkin |
| 39.7 | 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 |
| 39.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 40.1 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 40.1 | 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 |
| 41.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 41.9 | 1955-07-02 | 4 | 46°30'N / 97°00'W | 46°30'N / 96°48'W | 9.10 Miles | 150 Yards | 2 | 19 | 250K | 0 | Richland |
| 44.3 | 1952-07-01 | 3 | 46°04'N / 96°57'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland | |
| 45.5 | 1957-06-20 | 5 | 46°53'N / 96°46'W | 46°52'N / 96°14'W | 25.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
| 45.7 | 2005-09-05 | 2 | 46°42'N / 96°51'W | 46°42'N / 96°48'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Cass |
| Brief Description: After strong winds and heavy rain hit a farmstead, a tornado followed closely behind. The tornado tracked intermittently along a 4 mile path. A 30 foot concrete silo was lifted and blown onto a machine shed. Concrete pieces spread in a 60 degree arc 40 to 50 feet from the foundation. One-half of the machine shed was demolished by silo debris. Numerous trees were also snapped off. A window was blown in and siding was ripped off the house. The peak wind speeds were estimated at 120 mph. | |||||||||||
| 47.6 | 1996-06-05 | 2 | 46°58'N / 96°13'W | 46°58'N / 96°12'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 50K | Clay |
| Brief Description: Extensive damage to farm. | |||||||||||
| 47.8 | 1965-05-05 | 2 | 46°51'N / 95°30'W | 46°51'N / 95°30'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Becker | ||
| 48.0 | 1964-05-05 | 2 | 45°48'N / 96°52'W | 45°52'N / 96°49'W | 4.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Roberts |
| 48.2 | 1975-06-28 | 3 | 46°52'N / 96°35'W | 46°55'N / 96°34'W | 2.30 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
* 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.