Door County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55029 · population 30,054 · 482 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 446 records for Door County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 328 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (139 records). The deadliest single record is the November 10, 1998 high wind, filed for the forecast zone Door, which covers the county: 1 death, 1 injury and $91,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 6 declarations naming the county since 1973, 4 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina Evacuation” on September 13, 2005.
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
- 446on 328 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 312 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $32Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 6latest 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 Door County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 139 since 1966. 61% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1966 fell in July and August. 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 | 139 | 92 | 1966-2026 | 0 | 6 | $1.3M | 24 of 72 |
| Winter storms | 112 | 107 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $88K | 26 of 72 |
| Hail | 83 | 51 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | 27 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 38 | 38 | 1996-2021 | 1 | 1 | $368K | 13 of 72 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 20 | 18 | 1996-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 39 of 72 |
| Drought | 10 | 10 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 9 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 4 | $25M | 51 of 72 |
| Floods | 7 | 7 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $204K | 52 of 72 |
| Lightning | 7 | 6 | 1997-2016 | 0 | 1 | $786K | 21 of 72 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2006-2008 | 1 | 0 | – | 43 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 Door County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Door County from 1956 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 4 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Door County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-08-23 17:30, as SPC files it | Egg Harbor | F3 | 5.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Door County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-09 | Ephraim, Door County | EF0 0.25 mi x 32 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-21 | Detroit Harbor, Door County | EF1 2.28 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-07-13 | Forestville, Door County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-08-23 | Egg Harbor, Door County | F3 5.1 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 2 | $12M |
| 1985-06-08 | Door County | F2 5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-07-12 | Door County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-04-22 | Door County | F2 4.3 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1970-04-22 | Door County | F2 2.3 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1966-07-25 | Door County | F0 2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1956-07-01 | Door County | F2 10.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Door County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 9, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($431,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Thunderstorm winds downed and uprooted multiple trees in Ephraim. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. The thunderstorms produced $431,938 worth of damage and debris clean up across central and northern parts of Door County.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1281017)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Excessive HeatDoor County · forecast zone Door | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindForestville, Door County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | HailRowleys Bay, Door County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | BlizzardDoor County · forecast zone Door | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormDoor County · forecast zone Door | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillDoor County · forecast zone Door | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-10 | Winter StormDoor County · forecast zone Door | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter StormDoor County · forecast zone Door | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Heavy SnowDoor County · forecast zone Door | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-09 | Heavy SnowDoor County · forecast zone Door | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindEgg Harbor, Door County | 71 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindRowleys Bay, Door County | 65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-11-10 | High WindDoor County · forecast zone Door An intense area of low pressure moved across the Midwest on November 10, producing very high winds, rain and snow across the region. The low, which tracked from central Iowa to western Lake Superior, resulted in record minimum pressures in Iowa and Minnesota and an unusually widespread high wind event across ... | 1 | 1 | $91K | |
| 2023-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillDoor County · forecast zone Door The combination of cold temperatures and light winds caused wind chill values to fall to -15 to -20 during the morning hours. Extreme cold temperatures likely attributed to a Sturgeon Bay man's death. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-03-02 | Heavy RainForestville, Door County Rainfall of 0.72 inch was measured near Forestville for the 24 hours ending on the morning of March 3rd. Most of the rain fell in just a few hours overnight. The rain fell on a deck covered with about 30 inches of snow. The homeowner was beneath the deck, apparently attempting to jack up the sagging structure, when ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindSturgeon Bay, Door County Numerous thunderstorms packing winds over 60 mph swept across much of central and east-central Wisconsin late on June 24 and into the early morning hours of June 25. Door county was particularly hard hit, as thunderstorms hit a park and campground west and south of Sturgeon Bay. Three people suffered minor injuries at ... | 0 | 3 | $272K | |
| 1998-08-23 | TornadoEgg Harbor, Door County Three supercell thunderstorms dropped large hail and tornadoes across northeast and central Wisconsin during the afternoon and early evening. The first two storms developed quickly over central Wisconsin and then tracked east-southeast through the Fox Cities. These two storms primarily produced large hail (1 to 2 ... | F3 5.1 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 2 | $12M |
| 1970-04-22 | TornadoDoor County | F2 2.3 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2003-08-06 | LightningSturgeon Bay, Door County Thunderstorms that moved across northern Wisconsin produced strong winds that downed numerous trees and some power lines. A pole barn was partially blown down and there was widespread minor crop damage near Francis Creek (Manitowoc co.) and a two foot diameter tree damaged a home in Wausau (Marathon co.). One man was ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2001-09-07 | Thunderstorm WindFish Creek, Door County Severe thunderstorms moved through central and east-central Wisconsin during the early afternoon hours, downing numerous trees along the way. More than 5,000 customers were temporarily without electrical power due to the storms. One man sustained minor injuries when he was struck by a storm-damaged tree in Peninsula ... | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-08-23 | TornadoEgg Harbor, Door County | F3 5.1 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 2 | $12M |
| 2014-07-14 | HailInstitute, Door County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
| 2010-07-14 | LightningFish Creek, Door County | 0 | 0 | $587K | |
| 2025-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindEphraim, Door County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $431K |
| 1998-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindSturgeon Bay, Door County | 0 | 3 | $272K | |
| 1998-11-10 | High WindDoor County · forecast zone Door | 1 | 1 | $91K |
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 8, 1985 (tornado, Door 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 Door 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 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 38 | 22 | 33 | 26 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 38 | 30 | 26 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 32 | 9 | 14 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 22 | 7 | 2 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
61% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1966 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 33 · Mar 28 · Apr 29 · May 26 · Jun 48 · Jul 88 · Aug 53 · Sep 38 · Oct 18 · Nov 9 · Dec 35 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Door County
FEMA's register lists 6 declarations that include Door County: 2 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and hurricane (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2001-01-24 | EM-3163 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 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 Door County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 7 flood or flash flood records for Door County from 1996 to 2024, on 7 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Door County ranks 1522nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $598,000 on 65 claims filed in Door County; the most in one year was 19 in 1986. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1985: 3 · 1986: 19 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 1 · 1997: 2 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 19 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2026: 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 Door County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Door County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.7 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 Moderate | $5.1M | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $609K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.9M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $217K | 26 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $486K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $52K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $23K | 16 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 Door 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 Door CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Door County's FEMA declarations (CSV)6 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis