Tornado Risk in Scott County, MN
Scott County, MN: what NOAA's tornado record says
21 tornado tracks have crossed Scott County since 1952 by NOAA's count, roughly one every 3.6 years - the Moderate band on this site's scale. That is the 53rd percentile nationally for tornado frequency. Among 87 Minnesota counties in this dataset, Scott County ranks 59 for how often a tornado touches down.
The number that matters more than frequency
No violent (EF4-5) tornado has been recorded in Scott County in NOAA's 76-year database. Of its 21 recorded tracks, 19 were weak (EF0-1) and 2 significant (EF2-3).
Shelter and safe-room economics
Minnesota does not currently have a confirmed state rebate layered on top of FEMA's 75% Hazard Mitigation cost-share, so a Scott County homeowner should expect the full national range: $2,890-$13,280, $7,645 typical.
Power after the storm, not just shelter during it
Power loss after a tornado outbreak in Minnesota often reaches homes the storm itself never touched. A battery-backup unit covers the outage without the fuel and venting a generator needs.
What Scott County's figure does not tell you
Scott County's figure is county-wide, not address-specific. Scott County covers about 356 square miles, so a single touch here counts the same as a single touch in a county a fraction of that size. NOAA also documents that older records undercount weaker tornadoes from before Doppler radar became standard. Scott County has about 157,206 residents.