Barron County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55005 · population 46,685 · 863 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 558 records for Barron County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 333 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (178 records). The deadliest single record is the July 1, 2012 excessive heat, filed for the forecast zone Barron, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1965, 8 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on August 27, 2019.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 558on 333 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 651 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $100Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 41strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Barron County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 178 since 1966. 65% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1966 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Wisconsin's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 178 | 106 | 1966-2025 | 1 | 9 | $6.8M | 48 of 72 |
| Hail | 173 | 87 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 0 | $46M | 35 of 72 |
| Winter storms | 100 | 99 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 41 | 34 | 1957-2020 | 1 | 41 | $47M | 20 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 22 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 1 | – | 38 of 72 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 12 | 9 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 72 |
| Floods | 10 | 8 | 2000-2015 | 0 | 0 | $404K | 65 of 72 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 1999-2012 | 2 | 0 | – | 50 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 4 | 2010-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2004-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 61 of 72 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 72 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Barron County had?
NOAA records 41 tornadoes in Barron County from 1957 to 2020, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 41 injuries recorded in the county. That is 20th of 72 Wisconsin counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 43 tornadoes whose track touched Barron County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 41: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-05-16 15:42, as SPC files it | Chetek | EF3 | 82.53 mi | 1 |
| 1977-07-30 17:20, as SPC files it | Clayton | F3 | 9.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Barron County (41)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-21 | Arland, Barron County | EF0 1.54 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-07-28 | Hillsdale, Barron County | EF0 0.43 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-07-19 | Turtle Lake, Barron County | EF1 4.1 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-16 | Reeve, Barron County | EF2 31.34 mi x 1,320 yd | 1 | 25 | $12M |
| 2016-07-27 | Chetek, Barron County | EF0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $61K |
| 2011-05-22 | Mikana, Barron County | EF1 1.98 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $262K |
| 2010-08-07 | Barronett, Barron County | EF1 3.18 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2010-07-27 | Lake Chetek, Barron County | EF1 4.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 2010-07-27 | Turtle Lake, Barron County | EF1 2.17 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $162K |
| 2005-06-11 | Almena, Barron County | F1 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-07 | Almena, Barron County | F0 2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-07 | Comstock, Barron County | F0 1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-05 | Prairie Farm, Barron County | F0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-30 | Rice Lake, Barron County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-12 | Dallas, Barron County | F0 6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 1994-07-19 | Almena To, Barron County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 1994-06-27 | Haugen, Barron County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1994-04-26 | Canton, Barron County | F2 4 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 1993-09-13 | Cumberland, Barron County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1990-09-11 | Barron County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-09-11 | Barron County | F2 3 mi x 2,500 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-09-11 | Barron County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-09-11 | Barron County | F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-06-30 | Barron County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-09-10 | Barron County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-09-03 | Barron County | F2 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1985-05-30 | Barron County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-07-30 | Barron County | F1 6.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-07-30 | Barron County | F3 6.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1975-08-28 | Barron County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-07-26 | Barron County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-07-15 | Barron County | F1 6.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 1967-07-22 | Barron County | F2 28.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1965-05-05 | Barron County | F2 4.5 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-08-28 | Barron County | F1 5.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-06-18 | Barron County | F2 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1964-06-18 | Barron County | F2 4.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-05-05 | Barron County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-08-15 | Barron County | F1 50.9 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-07-14 | Barron County | F2 1 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-07-04 | Barron County | F2 1.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Barron County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 19, 2023 hail ($48,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Hail up to tennis ball size with hail breaking through a large retailer's roof.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1127948)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 | HailRice Lake, Barron County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter WeatherBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter StormBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-10 | Winter WeatherBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | Winter WeatherBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter StormBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-25 | Winter WeatherBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-09 | Winter StormBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter WeatherBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | Winter StormBarron County · forecast zone Barron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindRice Lake Regional Airport, Barron County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-07-01 | Excessive HeatBarron County · forecast zone Barron The Barron County Medical Examiner found that a 71 year old woman died from heat in her apartment. The wall thermometer read 105 degrees. The family stated that she refused to have an air conditioner, stating she did not like the cold. In addition, the Barron County Medical Examiner determined that a 76 year old woman ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-05-16 | TornadoReeve, Barron County The tornado first developed over southeastern Polk County, then tracked mostly east-northeast across southern Barron before moving into Rusk County and eventually Price County. In Barron County, the tornado hit numerous farmsteads, devastating barns and other outbuildings. The hardest hit area in Barron County was ... | EF2 31.34 mi x 1,320 yd | 1 | 25 | $12M |
| 2018-01-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBarron County · forecast zone Barron The Barron County Sheriff discovered a body near Chetek. The death appeared to be exposure to the cold. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2017-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindChetek, Barron County The Chetek Police Department confirmed a storm-related fatality, as a 46-year-old was killed while cutting down storm damage and the debris rolled over the individual. This was an indirect fatality. | 56 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2014-01-05 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBarron County · forecast zone Barron Several sources from local observations indicated that a prolonged period of wind chill values below -35F occurred in the county, with locally -50F or lower during the height of the cold conditions. A 76 year old woman walked away from an assisted living facility in Barron early on January 8 and succumbed to the cold ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindCumberland, Barron County A National Weather Service Storm Damage Survey determined that downburst winds caused substantial tree damage north of Cumberland, Wisconsin. In addition, a local business roof was blown off just north of Cumberland, and several trailers in Eagle Point Campground were damaged. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 8 | $135K |
| 1967-07-22 | TornadoBarron County | F2 28.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1969-07-15 | TornadoBarron County | F1 6.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-09-21 | HailRice Lake, Barron County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $45M |
| 2017-05-16 | TornadoReeve, Barron County | EF2 31.34 mi x 1,320 yd | 1 | 25 | $12M |
| 1994-04-26 | TornadoCanton, Barron County | F2 4 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 1994-07-19 | TornadoAlmena To, Barron County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2016-05-25 | Thunderstorm WindCameron, Barron County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 1993-09-13 | Thunderstorm WindCumberland, Barron County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1993-09-13 | TornadoCumberland, Barron County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1996-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindChetek, Barron County | 0 | 0 | $470K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 30, 1977 (tornado, Barron County); September 11, 1990 (tornado, Barron County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Barron County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 33 | 40 | 46 | 17 |
| Hail | 0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 70 | 50 | 16 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 26 | 29 | 32 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
65% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1966 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 29 · Feb 26 · Mar 24 · Apr 25 · May 47 · Jun 93 · Jul 161 · Aug 69 · Sep 40 · Oct 10 · Nov 11 · Dec 23 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Barron County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Barron County: 6 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4520 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3454 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-08-27 | DR-4459 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3249 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-09-10 | DR-1432 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2001-05-11 | DR-1369 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2000-06-24 | DR-1332 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1977-10-03 | EM-3048 | Severe Storm | Winds, Hail & Rain |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3014 | Drought | Drought |
| 1965-04-21 | DR-192 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Barron County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 10 flood or flash flood records for Barron County from 2000 to 2015, on 8 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Barron County ranks 2358th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $116,000 on 10 claims filed in Barron County; the most in one year was 2 in 2001. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2001: 2 · 2003: 2 · 2005: 2 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2016: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Barron County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Barron County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $26.3 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $10M | 9.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.9M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $423K | 33 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 1.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.3M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $75K | 17 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Barron County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in WisconsinEvery Wisconsin tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in WisconsinThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Wisconsin recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Barron CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Barron County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis