Exploring The Deadly 1886 Tornado That Struck Central Minnesota

It happened on April 14, 1886.

A tornado -- or as it was described back in the day, a "cyclone" -- swept through St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Rice.

It killed 72 people in our area, injured 213 and caused $400,000 worth of damage in 1886 dollars. That's nearly $13.5-million dollars in today's dollars.

It remains Minnesota's deadliest tornado on record.

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Modern-day scientists estimate the St. Cloud/Sauk Rapids/Rice tornado was an F4 on the Fujita Scale, meaning it likely had winds of 207-260 miles an hour.

It was part of a large outbreak of tornados across America on April 14th and 15, 1886.

In all, 87 people died and some 324 were injured across the country during that severe weather.

The bulk of the dead and injured were from Central Minnesota.

See the Aftermath of the 1886 St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Rice Tornado

Here are some historical pictures taken of the destruction from an F4 tornado/cyclone on the cities of St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Rice, Minnesota on April 14, 1886.

Gallery Credit: Brown and Riley, "Cyclone Views: Pictures Sauk Rapids Cyclone" (1886). University and Other Publications. 1.