Chippewa County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55017 · population 66,228 · 1,008 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 581 records for Chippewa County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 381 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (224 records). The deadliest single record is the June 4, 1958 tornado: 3 deaths and 50 injuries. FEMA has issued 11 declarations naming the county since 1973, 9 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides” on October 20, 2016.
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
- 581on 381 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 8119 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $219Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 35strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 11latest 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 Chippewa County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 224 since 1955. 60% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 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 | 224 | 137 | 1955-2025 | 1 | 24 | $7.6M | 41 of 72 |
| Hail | 144 | 89 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 45 of 72 |
| Winter storms | 108 | 108 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 63 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 27 | 1953-2021 | 5 | 93 | $210M | 36 of 72 |
| Floods | 21 | 21 | 1997-2022 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 43 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 15 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 67 of 72 |
| Lightning | 10 | 8 | 1997-2017 | 0 | 2 | $372K | 31 of 72 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 1999-2011 | 1 | 0 | – | 52 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 5 | 2013-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 72 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1998-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2004-2021 | 0 | 0 | $33K | 62 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 Chippewa County had?
NOAA records 35 tornadoes in Chippewa County from 1953 to 2021, the strongest rated F4, with 5 deaths and 93 injuries recorded in the county. That is 36th 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 39 tornadoes whose track touched Chippewa County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 35: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 8 people, 5 of them in Chippewa County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 18:45, as SPC files it | Chippewa Falls | F4 | 11.1 mi | 3 |
| 1953-05-10 17:30, as SPC files it | StanleyCrossed IA, MN, WI | F4 | 162 mi | 2 |
| 1980-07-15 20:40, as SPC files it | Lake Hallie | F2 | 0.2 mi | 1 |
| 1977-07-30 19:00, as SPC files it | Sheldon | F2 | 34.5 mi | 1 |
| 1971-07-18 15:35, as SPC files it | Eau Claire | F2 | 38.5 mi | 1 |
| 1977-07-30 18:35, as SPC files it | Bloomer | F4 | 19 mi | 0 |
| 2019-09-24 17:45, as SPC files it | Elk Mound | EF3 | 6.97 mi | 0 |
| 1971-09-28 14:15, as SPC files it | Stanley to Athens | F3 | 49.6 mi | 0 |
| 1958-06-04 19:00, as SPC files it | Cadott to Boyd | F3 | 4.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Chippewa County (35)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-15 | Bateman, Chippewa County | EF0 5.35 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-15 | Boyd, Chippewa County | EF2 5.69 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-06-24 | Stanley, Chippewa County | EF0 0.19 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-07-21 | Albertville, Chippewa County | EF0 3.45 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-07-21 | Cadott, Chippewa County | EF0 2.9 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-09-24 | Albertville, Chippewa County | EF3 4.72 mi x 725 yd | 0 | 3 | $3.5M |
| 2016-07-12 | Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County | EF0 0.53 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2013-08-21 | Bateman, Chippewa County | EF0 1.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $32K |
| 2005-06-07 | Tilden, Chippewa County | F0 5.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-09-06 | Boyd, Chippewa County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1989-05-24 | Chippewa County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1985-05-30 | Chippewa County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-06-07 | Chippewa County | F2 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-09-12 | Chippewa County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-09-12 | Chippewa County | F1 10 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1981-07-14 | Chippewa County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-07-15 | Chippewa County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-07-15 | Chippewa County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1980-07-15 | Chippewa County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-07-15 | Chippewa County | F2 0.2 mi x 67 yd | 1 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-06-19 | Chippewa County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-08-06 | Chippewa County | 0 | 1 | $3K step | |
| 1977-07-30 | Chippewa County | F2 16.5 mi x 1,000 yd | 1 | 8 | $2.5M step |
| 1977-07-30 | Chippewa County | F4 19 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 20 | $25M step |
| 1976-06-15 | Chippewa County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-09-28 | Chippewa County | F3 5.4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1971-06-23 | Chippewa County | F1 4.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-08-01 | Chippewa County | F1 2.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-05-24 | Chippewa County | F1 0.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-06-26 | Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1959-05-04 | Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1958-06-22 | Chippewa County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1958-06-04 | Chippewa County | F3 4.3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1958-06-04 | Chippewa County | F4 11.1 mi x 600 yd | 3 | 50 | $250K step |
| 1953-05-10 | Chippewa County | F4 53.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M 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 Chippewa County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 24, 2019 tornado (3 injuries and $3.5 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
This is the continuation track of the tornado in Dunn County that crossed 10th Street, south of 560th Avenue. As the tornado tracked northeast, the tornado intensified to an EF3 where considerable damage occurred near County Road X, or Highway 29, and 30th Street, or County Road M. The tornado crossed Highway 29, and move northeast until dissipating east of 50th Street, north of County Road X. Based on the NWS Storm Survey, the most significant damage occurred in Wheaton Township, or east of Elk Mound around the intersection of County Road M, and Highway 29. This area saw entire groves of trees leveled, some stripping of bark, and the destruction of several structures. The destruction of a metal building and two nearby homes were consistent with expected damage from winds of EF3 in strength. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 848531)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-13 | HailCornell, Chippewa County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailCornell, Chippewa County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailCornell, Chippewa County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-02 | Ice StormChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | BlizzardChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | Winter WeatherChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | Winter WeatherChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-04 | Winter WeatherChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter StormChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | Winter WeatherChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-09 | Winter StormChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 | TornadoChippewa County | F4 11.1 mi x 600 yd | 3 | 50 | $250K step |
| 1977-07-30 | TornadoChippewa County | F2 16.5 mi x 1,000 yd | 1 | 8 | $2.5M step |
| 1980-07-15 | TornadoChippewa County | F2 0.2 mi x 67 yd | 1 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 1987-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindChippewa County | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2009-01-15 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa As temperatures fell well below zero, and wind speeds increased slightly, dangerous wind chill values were felt for several hours across the area. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-07-20 | HeatChippewa County · forecast zone Chippewa A man died after fishing on Lake Stanley (in Stanley) during warm and humid weather. According to the cooperative observer in Stanley, the maximum temperature on the 20th was 85. The Eau Claire ASOS, 25 miles WSW of Stanley, registered a dewpoint in the low 70s, indicating the heat index was likely in the low 90s in ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1977-07-30 | TornadoChippewa County | F4 19 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 20 | $25M step |
| 1995-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindCadot, Chippewa County | 0 | 10 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-09-24 | TornadoAlbertville, Chippewa County | EF3 4.72 mi x 725 yd | 0 | 3 | $3.5M |
| 1996-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindCadott, Chippewa County | 0 | 1 | $1.7M | |
| 1996-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindNew Auburn, Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2016-09-21 | Flash FloodAlbertville, Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2001-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindBloomer, Chippewa County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2001-05-01 | Thunderstorm WindBloomer, Chippewa County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $833K |
| 2012-05-24 | Thunderstorm WindEau Claire Airport, Chippewa County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $643K |
| 1997-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindCadott, Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | $607K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 30, 1977 (tornado, Chippewa 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 Chippewa 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 | 2 | 16 | 17 | 30 | 36 | 46 | 42 | 35 |
| Hail | 3 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 43 | 27 | 20 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 29 | 31 | 35 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
60% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 32 · Feb 30 · Mar 29 · Apr 34 · May 90 · Jun 103 · Jul 130 · Aug 64 · Sep 32 · Oct 7 · Nov 8 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Chippewa County
FEMA's register lists 11 declarations that include Chippewa County: 8 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4520 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3454 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-10-20 | DR-4288 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3249 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-18 | DR-1526 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2002-09-10 | DR-1432 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2001-05-11 | DR-1369 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1993-07-02 | DR-994 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1980-07-24 | DR-626 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Chippewa County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 21 flood or flash flood records for Chippewa County from 1997 to 2022, on 21 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Chippewa County ranks 1694th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $337,000 on 46 claims filed in Chippewa County; the most in one year was 5 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 4 · 1980: 3 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 5 · 1983: 2 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 2 · 1994: 1 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 2 · 2002: 3 · 2010: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2023: 4; 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 Chippewa County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chippewa County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $31.7 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 | $8.0M | 8.6 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.1M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $585K | 33 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $116K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $16M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $5K | 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 Chippewa 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 Chippewa CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Chippewa County's FEMA declarations (CSV)11 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis