Wendell, Minnesota
10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1910 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Stony Brook Township. It lies in ZIP code area 56590. The Survey maps it on the Wendell quadrangle. 166 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,145 feet above sea level.
Research this city
Population over time
2 figuresWendell fell from 167 to 166 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 167 | |
| 2020 | 166 | -1 (-1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 10 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1910 USGS Wendell quadrangle1:62500
- 1913 USGS Wendell quadrangle1:62500
- 1953 USGS Fargo quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1956 USGS Fargo quadrangle1:250000
- 1973 USGS Wendell quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Wahpeton quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1989 USGS Fargo quadrangle1:250000
Fires near this place
6 since 2000Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 6 fires within 5 miles of Wendell between 2000 and 2011, burning about 206 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 June 2009 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | Fergus Falls Wetland Management District | GERMUDNSON WILD FIRE |
| 21 May 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Fergus Falls Wetland Management District | MUD LAKE |
| 26 April 2011 | Arson/incendiarism | 160 acres | Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District | SHAY |
| 26 April 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 22 acres | Fergus Falls Wetland Management District | FOSS |
| 21 April 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Fergus Falls Wetland Management District | STONY BROOK (BARN) |
| 26 March 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8.0 acres | Fergus Falls Wetland Management District | LILLEMOEN |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Wendell: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banach Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
48 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wendell in 48 storm reports between 1996 and 2023: 17 thunderstorm wind, 16 hail, 5 flood, 4 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2022 | Tornado (EF2) | Wendell | $1,000,000 | This tornado was wrapped in damaging downburst winds and rain as it rapidly tracked to the northeast for about 11 miles, ending around 4.3 miles NNE of Elbow Lake by 424 pm CDT. Numerous ash, spruce, cottonwood, and willow trees were snapped or uprooted. Numerous wooden power poles were snapped Numerous farm outbuilding and steel grain bins were destroyed, with roofing and wall panels carried downwind for a mile or more. Max winds were 115 mph, with a max width to 400 yards. |
| October 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | $50,000 | Two metal grain bins were blown across Highway 55 and into a field. Three others were blown into a shelterbelt. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Wendell | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | $20,000 | A few large tree branches and tree limbs were broken down in farmsteads and shelterbelts across Lawrence and North Ottawa townships. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | $15,000 | A trailer home was flipped over in the strong wind at Lightning Lake. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | $10,000 | Large tree limbs were blown down throughout the northwest portion of Grant County. |
| March 2009 | Flood | Wendell | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2009 | Flood | Wendell | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Hail | Wendell | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | $1,000 | A power pole was broken down by falling tree limbs, which caused widespread power outages in northwest Lawrence township. Wind driven hail also produced areas of crop damage. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Wendell | - | Grant county FD reports quarter-size hail. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | Empty grain bins were partially caved in at Lacey Ridge Farm. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | Public report of large tree branches down and a snapped tree. |
| July 2021 | Hail | Wendell | - | Golf ball sized hail reported, along with damaged shingles. |
| August 2020 | Funnel Cloud | Wendell | - | The funnel extended about half way down from the cloud base. |
| August 2020 | Tornado (EF0) | Wendell | - | This tornado was the third of five tornadoes in Grant County. The tornado tracked mainly over open fields and pasture land. A slight marking was noted in a field via video and a storm damage survey team. Peak winds were estimated at 70 mph. |
| September 2017 | Hail | Wendell | - | The hail fell with very heavy rain. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | Numerous large four to eight inch diameter tree branches were broken down in shelterbelts and farmsteads across northern Lawrence and Stony Brook townships. |
| July 2015 | Tornado (EF0) | Wendell | - | There were multiple sightings of this tornado as it tracked along the Grant and Otter Tail county line. The tornado touched down intermittently along its path. Peak winds were estimated at 80 mph. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | A few large tree branches and tree limbs were broken down around town. |
| July 2011 | Hail | Wendell | - | Very heavy rain fell with a few quarter to half dollar sized hailstones. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | Branches were blown down and the steel on a shed was pealed up. |
| August 2010 | Tornado (EF1) | Wendell | - | This tornado tracked intermittently for nearly 16 miles, to about 3 miles east of Erdahl. At this point, it continued into Douglas County. The tornado broke down numerous trees and large tree limbs along its path. At times, the tornado was wrapped in very heavy rains. Peak winds were estimated at 100 mph. |
| September 2008 | Hail | Wendell | - | A brief burst of pea to nickel sized hail occurred roughly a mile north of highway 55 in western Lawrence Township. |
| June 2007 | Flood | Wendell | - | Many rural roads were flooded by the heavy rain. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | Trees and power lines were blown down and a garage was damaged. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Wendell | - | Water overtopped a portion of county road 40 near the Rabbit Creek in extreme northwest Grant County. |
| June 2005 | Flash Flood | Wendell | - | Fields and farm access roads were flooded. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | 10 inch diameter trees were blown down. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | Large tree branches were blown down. |
| June 2003 | Flash Flood | Wendell | - | Street flooding was reported. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | The west door of a shed was blown in and pieces of roof were scattered for a third of a mile into a field. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | Large tree limbs were blown down. |
| June 2001 | Flash Flood | Wendell | - | The railroad tracks were under water. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | The strong wind collapsed a barn and blew down some trees. |
| July 2015 | Funnel Cloud | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Flood | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| September 2007 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Hail | Wendell | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hereford (historical) | 2.6 miles | 9 | |
| Elbow Lake | 7.2 miles | 10 | |
| Thorsborg (historical) | 11.2 miles | 10 | |
| Norcross | 12.6 miles | 10 | |
| Barrett | 14.1 miles | 10 | |
| Erdahl | 15.3 miles | 10 | |
| Ashby | 15.5 miles | 13 | |
| Herman | 15.8 miles | 10 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Wendell | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2210686 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 653909. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.






