Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air rising up into a cloud. A thunderstorm is the first step in the creation of a tornado. A thunderstorm happens when there is moisture in the atmosphere, a lifting force causing air to begin rising, and unstable air that will continue to raise once it starts. Then, if other conditions are right, the thunderstorm may spin out one or more tornadoes.
Wadena County has experienced 11 tornadoes since 1950. Fortunately, no deaths have been experienced, but 6 injuries have occured.
Below shos a table of data from the National Climatic Data Center.
| Location or County | Date | Time | Type | Mag | Dth | Inj | PrD | CrD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 WADENA | 06/08/1964 | 2210 | Tornado | F1 | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 |
| 2 WADENA | 09/09/1964 | 1940 | Tornado | F1 | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 |
| 3 WADENA | 07/04/1966 | 2000 | Tornado | F1 | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 |
| 4 WADENA | 07/10/1966 | 1615 | Tornado | F2 | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 |
| 5 WADENA | 07/14/1968 | 2030 | Tornado | F0 | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 |
| 6 WADENA | 08/26/1977 | 1845 | Tornado | F2 | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 |
| 7 WADENA | 07/12/1978 | 1830 | Tornado | F0 | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 |
| 8 Sebeka | 10/26/1996 | 04:30 PM | Tornado | F2 | 0 | 0 | 750K | 0 |
| 9 Verndale | 07/08/2000 | 08:20 PM | Tornado | F2 | 0 | 3 | 500K | 0 |
| 10 Oylen | 06/29/2005 | 05:40 PM | Tornado | F0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 Menahga | 06/06/2008 | 08:14 AM | Tornado | F2 | 0 | 1 | 5.0M | 500K |
| TOTALS: | 0 | 6 | 7.030M | 500K | ||||
The wind speeds associated with each rating are listed below.
| F0: 40-72 MPH | F3: 158-206 MPH |
| F1: 73-112 MPH | F4: 207-260 MPH |
| F2: 113-157 MPH | F5: 261-318 MPH |