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.

Clark County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank 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.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Clark County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1958-06-04 19:30, as SPC files itFall Creek to UnityF459.2 mi4
1950-06-25 21:00, as SPC files itUnity to AbbotsfordF27.8 mi1
1971-09-28 14:15, as SPC files itStanley to AthensF349.6 mi0
1959-05-26 15:45, as SPC files itTrempealeau to FairchildF334.3 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.

Every tornado record filed for Clark County (44)
Every tornado recorded in Clark County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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).

The 12 most recent records kept for Clark County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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

Records with deaths or injuries in Clark County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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.

The costliest records in Clark County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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).

Clark County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind0281530527636
Hail113618673528
Winter storms––––12342827
Tornadoes452703518
Floods––––15256
Extreme cold––––3794

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).

Declarations including Clark County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2020-04-04DR-4520BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3454BiologicalCovid-19
2019-08-27DR-4459FloodSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2018-08-10DR-4383FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2016-10-20DR-4288FloodSevere Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides
2010-10-21DR-1944Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2005-09-13EM-3249HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2004-06-18DR-1526Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2002-09-10DR-1432TornadoSevere Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
2002-07-19DR-1429Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2001-05-11DR-1369FloodFlooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes
1998-07-24DR-1236Severe StormSevere Storms,Straigh Line Winds, Tornadoes,Rain,and Floodi
1993-07-02DR-994Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1976-06-17EM-3014DroughtDrought
1973-04-27DR-376FloodSevere 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Clark County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Cold WaveRelatively High$5.5M8.7 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Moderate$787K2.8 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$692K2.5 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$340K33 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$1.7Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Low$8.1Mabout once a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$347K2 modeled event-days a year
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$53K17 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

  1. Marathon County 882
  2. Clark County 652
  3. Chippewa County 581
  4. Jackson County 568
  5. Wood County 541
  6. Eau Claire County 450
  7. Taylor County 446

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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