| Tornado outbreak of August 6, 1969 | |
| Duration: | August 6, 1969 |
| Tornadoes: | 14 |
| Fujita-Scale: | F4 |
| Gusts: | 60lk=onNaNlk=on in Iowa |
| Largest Hail: | 1lk=onNaNlk=on in Clearwater County, Minnesota |
| Year: | 1969 |
| Damages: | $5,120,000 ($ in USD) |
| Fatalities: | 15+ |
| Injuries: | 109 |
On August 6, 1969, a destructive tornado outbreak affected portions of the Upper Midwest—principally north-central Minnesota—on August 6, 1969. The severe weather event generated 14 confirmed tornadoes, killed 15 people, and caused 109 injuries. To date, the outbreak remains the deadliest on record in the North Woods region of Minnesota. It is also known as the 1969 Minnesota tornado outbreak and the 1969 North Woods tornado outbreak. The most destructive tornado of the outbreak was a 33adj=midNaNadj=mid violent F4 that leveled miles of timberland and farmland across portions of Crow Wing, Cass, and Aitkin counties in Minnesota, killing at least 12 people and injuring 70 others.[1] [2]
Very warm, humid, summertime air had pushed into central and southern Minnesota on August 6, 1969. Minneapolis recorded a high temperature of 93F with dew points near 70F. Meanwhile, strong upper-level winds over northern Minnesota and an approaching cold front from the west added the needed ingredient for the strong storms. Two distinct thunderstorms formed approximately 45lk=onNaNlk=on apart and tracked east-northeastward across Minnesota at 50lk=onNaNlk=on. These parallel storms generated 14 tornadoes, killing 15 people and injuring 109.
The first tornado of the day, rated F0, touched down at 1:15 p.m. CDT (12:15 p.m. CST; 18:15 UTC) in Beltrami County. The main tornado event started about three hours later in Cass County when an F3 tornado touched down southwest of Backus, injuring four people. The most damaging tornado of the outbreak touched down at 4:48 p.m. CDT (3:48 p.m. CST; 21:48 UTC) in Crow Wing County. It achieved F4 strength, traveling 33miles through Crow Wing, Cass and Aitkin counties. The area around Outing was especially hard hit by this tornado, where 11 deaths and 40 injuries occurred on the shores of Roosevelt Lake.
Several more strong tornadoes touched down over the next two hours, killing one person near Jacobson and two people near Two Harbors. Damage and casualties were limited, however, because most of the twisters, however large in size, struck rural areas.