Clark County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55019 · population 34,630 · 1,210 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 652 records for Clark County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 374 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (219 records). The deadliest single record is the June 20, 2012 flood: 3 deaths and $26,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1973, 13 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
- 652on 374 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 926 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $75Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 44strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 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 Clark County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 219 since 1964. 53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 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 | 219 | 116 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 1 | $3.1M | 59 of 72 |
| Hail | 159 | 92 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $764K | 53 of 72 |
| Winter storms | 101 | 101 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 5 | $177K | 69 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 44 | 28 | 1950-2025 | 2 | 9 | $64M | 43 of 72 |
| Floods | 37 | 24 | 1998-2024 | 3 | 0 | $7.0M | 46 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 23 | 23 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 13 | 2010-2023 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 24 of 72 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 13 | 1998-2023 | 1 | 9 | $26K | 44 of 72 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 2009-2023 | 0 | 0 | $39K | 63 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 8 | 1998-2021 | 1 | 0 | $220K | 57 of 72 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 72 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1996-2008 | 0 | 2 | $152K | 58 of 72 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | $106K | 10 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 Clark County had?
NOAA records 44 tornadoes in Clark County from 1950 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 2 deaths and 9 injuries recorded in the county. 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 44 tornadoes whose track touched Clark County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 44, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 5 people, 2 of them in Clark County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 19:30, as SPC files it | Fall Creek to Unity | F4 | 59.2 mi | 4 |
| 1950-06-25 21:00, as SPC files it | Unity to Abbotsford | F2 | 7.8 mi | 1 |
| 1971-09-28 14:15, as SPC files it | Stanley to Athens | F3 | 49.6 mi | 0 |
| 1959-05-26 15:45, as SPC files it | Trempealeau to Fairchild | F3 | 34.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Clark County (44)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-15 | Christie, Clark County | EF1 0.85 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-15 | Christie, Clark County | EF0 2.4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-05-15 | Loyal, Clark County | EF1 2.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2025-05-15 | Curtiss, Clark County | EF2 3.88 mi x 230 yd | 0 | 0 | $825K |
| 2024-06-17 | Colby, Clark County | EF0 0.06 mi x 46 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2024-06-17 | Greenwood, Clark County | EF0 0.42 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2024-06-17 | Clark County | EF1 0.25 mi x 45 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-21 | Unity, Clark County | EF1 0.77 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | $324K |
| 2024-05-21 | Riplinger, Clark County | EF0 1.39 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2024-05-21 | Spokeville, Clark County | EF1 2.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2024-05-21 | Longwood, Clark County | EF1 4.04 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $271K |
| 2024-05-21 | Christie, Clark County | EF1 9.07 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $88K |
| 2024-05-21 | Humbird, Clark County | EF1 6.96 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $141K |
| 2021-12-15 | Eidsvold, Clark County | EF2 1.72 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2021-12-15 | Greenwood, Clark County | EF1 0.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $174K |
| 2021-12-15 | Neillsville, Clark County | EF2 1.13 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $218K |
| 2021-12-15 | Sidney, Clark County | EF2 2.8 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $218K |
| 2021-12-15 | Humbird, Clark County | EF2 2.95 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 2019-09-24 | Globe, Clark County | EF1 4.69 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $294K |
| 2019-07-19 | Withee, Clark County | EF1 0.28 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2019-07-19 | Withee, Clark County | EF0 0.23 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2011-08-23 | Spokeville, Clark County | EF2 7.61 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 2 | $2.0M |
| 2010-07-14 | Lake Arbutus, Clark County | EF1 22.08 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2005-06-04 | Loyal, Clark County | F1 17 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $922K |
| 2002-09-30 | Loyal, Clark County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-06-25 | Abbotsford, Clark County | F1 0.3 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 2 | $164K |
| 1986-09-26 | Clark County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1985-08-12 | Clark County | F1 1.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-06-07 | Clark County | F2 11 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-08-16 | Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-07-19 | Clark County | F2 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-07-03 | Clark County | F2 6 mi x 57 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-07-15 | Clark County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-09-28 | Clark County | F3 26.4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1971-09-28 | Clark County | F3 6.2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1969-06-26 | Clark County | F2 28.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1967-07-22 | Clark County | F2 8.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1967-06-30 | Clark County | F1 4.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-06-23 | Clark County | F2 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1960-11-15 | Clark County | F2 36 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-09-22 | Clark County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-05-26 | Clark County | F3 4.3 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1958-06-04 | Clark County | F4 42.7 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1950-06-25 | Clark County | F2 5.1 mi x 17 yd | 1 | 0 | $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.
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 Clark County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 10, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($200,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Excessive HeatClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | HailClark County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailVeefkind, Clark County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailAtwood, Clark County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailLongwood, Clark County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindGreenwood, Clark County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindGreenwood, Clark County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $200K |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindNeillsville, Clark County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 2026-05-27 | HailSpokeville, Clark County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailHumbird, Clark County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2026-04-13 | HailSidney, Clark County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailChili, Clark County | 1.75 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-20 | FloodTioga, Clark County Three people were killed in two separate accidents when their vehicles fell into a 12 to 15 foot deep washout area. The washout occurred after rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 2 inches in a short amount of time caused Scott Creek to quickly rise. From damage photos, it appears the creek stayed within its banks, but the ... | 3 | 0 | $26K | |
| 2011-02-17 | Dense FogClark County · forecast zone Clark A nine vehicle accident that occurred in dense fog, resulted in the death of one person and injured nine others. The accident occurred around 1015 a.m. at the intersection of State Highway 29 and County Road P east of Owen. The automated weather observing equipment at the Medford airport reported visibilities at or ... | 1 | 9 | $26K | |
| 2015-03-29 | Winter WeatherClark County · forecast zone Clark One person was killed in a two vehicle accident that occurred on icy roads south of Dorchester. Three other people sustained non-live threatening injuries in the crash. | 1 | 3 | $25K | |
| 2011-08-23 | TornadoSpokeville, Clark County Two people were directly injured and there was an indirect loss of life from an EF2 tornado that tracked across the east central sections of Clark County near Chili. The death occurred when an oxygen machine stopped working due to a power outage caused by the tornado. The tornado was on the ground for just over 7 ... | EF2 7.61 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 2 | $2.0M |
| 2020-03-05 | Winter WeatherClark County · forecast zone Clark One person was killed in a single vehicle accident east of Owen on State Highway 29. The driver lost control, the vehicle went into the median and the driver was thrown from the vehicle. Light snow has been falling for most of the afternoon with the roads reported to be slippery at the time of the accident. | 1 | 0 | $11K | |
| 2004-04-18 | Strong WindClark County · forecast zone Clark High winds, which were not associated with thunderstorms, gusted to around 55 mph. According to law enforcement officials, a woman was killed in Thorp (Clark County) when the top of a tree snapped off and fell on her. | 48 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $781 |
| 1950-06-25 | TornadoClark County | F2 5.1 mi x 17 yd | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
| 2002-08-17 | LightningWillard, Clark County Two persons on a camping trip were injured when lightning struck a tree near their tent. The two were sleeping when the lightning hit and one of them had to be revived by use of CPR. | 0 | 2 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-09-21 | Flash FloodEidsvold, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2011-08-23 | TornadoSpokeville, Clark County | EF2 7.61 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 2 | $2.0M |
| 2010-09-23 | FloodSherwood, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2015-09-06 | Flash FloodGreenwood, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2005-06-04 | TornadoLoyal, Clark County | F1 17 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $922K |
| 2025-05-15 | TornadoCurtiss, Clark County | EF2 3.88 mi x 230 yd | 0 | 0 | $825K |
| 2002-06-22 | Flash FloodNortheast Portion, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $607K | |
| 2024-05-21 | TornadoUnity, Clark County | EF1 0.77 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | $324K |
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: June 26, 1969 (tornado, Clark County); June 4, 1958 (tornado, Clark 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 Clark 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 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 30 | 52 | 76 | 36 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 67 | 35 | 28 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 34 | 28 | 27 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 25 | 6 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
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 1964 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 35 · Feb 32 · Mar 23 · Apr 54 · May 87 · Jun 94 · Jul 135 · Aug 68 · Sep 62 · Oct 14 · Nov 7 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clark County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Clark County: 12 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and severe storm (5).
| 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 |
| 2018-08-10 | DR-4383 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2016-10-20 | DR-4288 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2010-10-21 | DR-1944 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2002-07-19 | DR-1429 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2001-05-11 | DR-1369 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1998-07-24 | DR-1236 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms,Straigh Line Winds, Tornadoes,Rain,and Floodi |
| 1993-07-02 | DR-994 | 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 Clark County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Clark County from 1998 to 2024, on 24 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clark County ranks 1838th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $630,000 on 35 claims filed in Clark County; the most in one year was 5 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 1 · 1980: 4 · 1983: 1 · 1986: 4 · 1989: 1 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 5 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 1 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 2; 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 Clark County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clark County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $17.7 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 | $5.5M | 8.7 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $787K | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $692K | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $340K | 33 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.1M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $347K | 2 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $53K | 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 Clark 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 Clark CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clark County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis