Brown County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55009 · population 268,585 · 530 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 609 records for Brown County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 409 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (190 records). The deadliest single record is the April 2, 2026 ice storm, filed for the forecast zone Brown, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 9 declarations naming the county since 1973, 7 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on June 30, 2026.
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
- 609on 409 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 824 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $44Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 9latest 2026
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 Brown County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 190 since 1961. 53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 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 | 190 | 113 | 1961-2026 | 1 | 1 | $2.1M | 16 of 72 |
| Hail | 129 | 66 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $32K | 20 of 72 |
| Winter storms | 96 | 92 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 12 | $830K | 33 of 72 |
| Floods | 37 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 15 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 34 | 33 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 1 | $710K | 19 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 24 | 1957-2021 | 0 | 7 | $37M | 13 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 22 | 1996-2026 | 6 | 0 | – | 23 of 72 |
| Heat | 19 | 19 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 3 | – | 22 of 72 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 18 | 1996-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 72 |
| Lightning | 16 | 15 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $454K | 11 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 9 | 1999-2015 | 0 | 0 | $234K | 17 of 72 |
| Drought | 8 | 8 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 72 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 8 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 Brown County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Brown County from 1957 to 2021, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 13th 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Brown County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-06-26 11:15, as SPC files it | Pulaski | F3 | 15.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Brown County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-11 | Pulaski, Brown County | EF0 2.27 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-08-07 | Green Bay, Brown County | EF0 6.2 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2017-06-14 | Morrison, Brown County | EF0 1.21 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-15 | Glenmore, Brown County | EF0 0.35 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $125 |
| 2013-08-06 | Holland, Brown County | EF1 1.48 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-08-06 | Wrightstown, Brown County | EF1 7.84 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $633K |
| 2013-08-06 | Wrightstown, Brown County | EF0 15.22 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
| 2013-08-06 | Pine Grove, Brown County | EF1 5.53 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-10 | Askeaton, Brown County | EF1 1.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2010-08-20 | Greenleaf, Brown County | EF1 1.28 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2005-09-13 | De Pere, Brown County | F0 1.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2005-08-18 | Wrightstown, Brown County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2004-06-23 | Green Bay, Brown County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-17 | Brown County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-05-16 | Brown County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-08-09 | Brown County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-07-30 | Brown County | F1 11.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1970-07-30 | Brown County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1970-05-21 | Brown County | F0 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-04-22 | Brown County | F1 7.2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1970-04-22 | Brown County | F2 7.2 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1970-04-22 | Brown County | F2 3.6 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1968-08-16 | Brown County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1964-05-30 | Brown County | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-06-23 | Brown County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1959-06-11 | Brown County | F1 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-05-28 | Brown County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1959-05-28 | Brown County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-05-10 | Brown County | F2 4.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1957-07-11 | Brown County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Brown County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 2, 2026 ice storm (1 death).
The highest ice total in Brown County was 0.25 inches near Howard, near Flintville, as well as near Oneida. A 56-year-old male died in a car crash due to the slippery roadways.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1319344)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindAshwaubenon, Brown County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Excessive HeatBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | HailCormier, Brown County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailCormier, Brown County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailGreen Bay, Brown County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailCormier, Brown County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailMills Center, Brown County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailPulaski, Brown County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailAshwaubenon, Brown County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Flash FloodCormier, Brown County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-16 | HailAshwaubenon, Brown County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | Flash FloodCormier, Brown County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-02 | Ice StormBrown County · forecast zone Brown The highest ice total in Brown County was 0.25 inches near Howard, near Flintville, as well as near Oneida. A 56-year-old male died in a car crash due to the slippery roadways. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindCormier, Brown County Thunderstorm winds downed a tree onto a 9-year-old child on the west side of Green Bay. The person was taken to the hospital and passed away from the injuries. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillBrown County · forecast zone Brown The combination of cold temperatures and light winds caused wind chill values to fall to -15 to -20 during the morning hours. A teenager died of hypothermia in a field near Wrightstown. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-01-02 | Cold/Wind ChillBrown County · forecast zone Brown A 60 year old woman was found dead outside her residence in Green Bay on the morning of the 3rd. It is estimated that she died late on the 2nd, probably around midnight. Temperature in Green Bay near her estimated time of death were in the single digits and wind chills were below zero. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-01-10 | Cold/Wind ChillBrown County · forecast zone Brown Wind chills at Green Bay were generally in the 20 below to 23 below zero range from late on the night of January 10th through early morning January 11th. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-01-20 | Cold/Wind ChillBrown County · forecast zone Brown Brisk northwest winds brought bitterly cold arctic air into Wisconsin. A Green Bay man died of hypothermia outside his home early on the morning of January 21st. Temperatures were in the single digits with wind chills of 10 below to 15 below zero. The man was wearing inadequate clothing for the weather and died from ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-01-24 | Cold/Wind ChillBrown County · forecast zone Brown Northwest winds between a departing cold front and an approaching high pressure system brought much colder air into the area. Low temperatures ranged from the single digits below zero from the Fox Valley east to Lake Michigan, to the teens below zero in north-central and parts of central Wisconsin. Wind chills across ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillBrown County · forecast zone Brown At least 20 record low temperatures were set across Central and Northeast Wisconsin during the early part of February as a frigid arctic air mass remained entrenched across the area. The cold weather resulted in a hypothermia-related death in Green Bay on the first day of the month.Temperatures dropped to colder than ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-08-06 | TornadoWrightstown, Brown County | EF0 15.22 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
| 2019-03-15 | FloodSuamico, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 1994-07-23 | Thunderstorm WindBellevue, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2013-08-06 | TornadoWrightstown, Brown County | EF1 7.84 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $633K |
| 2018-09-17 | Flash FloodGreen Bay, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $588K | |
| 2020-04-28 | Lakeshore FloodBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | $513K | |
| 2018-04-13 | Winter StormBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | $470K | |
| 2011-03-22 | Winter StormBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | $354K |
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: May 10, 1959 (tornado, Brown 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 Brown 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 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 26 | 30 | 56 | 45 |
| Hail | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 26 | 38 | 37 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 21 | 33 | 28 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 5 | 17 | 11 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 17 | 6 | 3 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 39 · Feb 37 · Mar 35 · Apr 51 · May 51 · Jun 109 · Jul 101 · Aug 83 · Sep 44 · Oct 17 · Nov 12 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Brown County
FEMA's register lists 9 declarations that include Brown County: 6 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (3) and flood (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4923 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4520 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3454 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3249 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-18 | DR-1526 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-07-02 | DR-994 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1990-07-13 | DR-874 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3014 | Drought | Drought |
| 1973-04-27 | DR-376 | Flood | 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 Brown County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Brown County from 1996 to 2026, on 36 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Brown County ranks 622nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.3 million on 383 claims filed in Brown County; the most in one year was 104 in 1990. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 24 · 1980: 6 · 1982: 3 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 4 · 1985: 18 · 1986: 37 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 104 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 3 · 1996: 2 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 5 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2004: 4 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 12 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2015: 10 · 2018: 12 · 2019: 74 · 2020: 20 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2026: 17; 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 Brown County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Brown County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $104 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 | $25M | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively High | $4.1M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $2.3M | 31 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $12M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $57M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $313K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.5M | 1.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $95K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Brown 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 Brown CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Brown County's FEMA declarations (CSV)9 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis