Douglas County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55031 · population 44,212 · 1,304 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 548 records for Douglas County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 394 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (163 records). The deadliest single record is the December 18, 2016 cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone Douglas, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1972, 8 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on August 10, 2018.
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
- 548on 394 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 20 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $37Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 12strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 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 Douglas County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 163 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 163 | 162 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $331K | 49 of 72 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 160 | 89 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 0 | $53K | 66 of 72 |
| Hail | 107 | 63 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 0 | $19K | 66 of 72 |
| Drought | 41 | 41 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 27 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | – | 54 of 72 |
| Floods | 24 | 15 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $32M | 59 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 11 | 1968-2020 | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | 67 of 72 |
| Lightning | 7 | 7 | 1996-2017 | 0 | 0 | $500K | 45 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 1999-2018 | 0 | 0 | $44K | 67 of 72 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2011-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 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 Douglas County had?
NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Douglas County from 1968 to 2020, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 12 tornadoes whose track touched Douglas County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Douglas County (12)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-18 | Blueberry, Douglas County | EF1 0.42 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-07-18 | Lake Nebagamon Airport, Douglas County | EF1 1.3 mi x 160 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-08-09 | Superior, Douglas County | EF0 0.05 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-07-01 | Solon Springs, Douglas County | EF2 2.93 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-08-23 | Maple, Douglas County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $52K |
| 1994-06-27 | Wascott, Douglas County | F1 4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1994-06-27 | Dairyland, Douglas County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $199K |
| 1980-09-03 | Douglas County | F2 9.9 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-09-08 | Douglas County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1977-09-09 | Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1970-07-07 | Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1968-06-30 | Douglas County | F2 11.4 mi x 300 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 Douglas County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 16, 2023 heavy snow ($320,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches were reported along the terrain ridge over north-central Douglas County with a high report of 10 inches near Hawthorne. Snow build-up on the roof of a school in Solon Springs led to sagging trusses on the 16th and the school was closed for an additional week following spring break as crews worked to remove the snow and repair the roof.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1084401)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindLake Nebagamon, Douglas County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | HailWascott, Douglas County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | HailItasca, Douglas County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-03 | Ice StormDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Heavy SnowDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | Heavy SnowDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-15 | Heavy SnowDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Heavy SnowDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-12-18 | Cold/Wind ChillDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas An elderly couple were found dead from exposure to the cold weather in a remote part of Superior, Wisconsin. A utility worker found Richard Ellison, 82, and Shirley Johnson, 70, on their deck around 10:30 am on Wednesday December 21st. They were last seen running errands the previous Sunday, December 18th. It appeared ... | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-20 | FloodItasca, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $27M | |
| 1999-07-25 | Flash FloodCountywide, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $3.5M | |
| 2001-04-06 | FloodDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 1994-06-27 | TornadoWascott, Douglas County | F1 4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2023-03-16 | Heavy SnowDouglas County · forecast zone Douglas | 0 | 0 | $320K | |
| 2011-07-17 | LightningSolon Springs, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | $262K | |
| 1994-06-27 | TornadoDairyland, Douglas County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $199K |
| 1998-08-23 | TornadoMaple, Douglas County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $52K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 30, 1968 (tornado, Douglas 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 Douglas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 23 | 46 | 50 | 44 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 30 | 23 | 47 | 37 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 26 | 36 | 30 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 17 | 8 | 16 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 18 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Douglas County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 44 · Feb 43 · Mar 36 · Apr 25 · May 33 · Jun 68 · Jul 121 · Aug 69 · Sep 31 · Oct 11 · Nov 25 · Dec 42 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Douglas County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Douglas County: 7 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 |
| 2018-08-10 | DR-4383 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2016-08-09 | DR-4276 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2012-08-02 | DR-4076 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3249 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-05-11 | DR-1369 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1999-08-16 | DR-1284 | Flood | Wi-Flood-07/20/99 |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3014 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-09-10 | DR-352 | Flood | Heavy Rains & 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 Douglas County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 24 flood or flash flood records for Douglas County from 1996 to 2023, on 15 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Douglas County ranks 2075th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $718,000 on 21 claims filed in Douglas County; the most in one year was 6 in 2020. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2020: 6; 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 Douglas County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Douglas County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $25.2 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 | $12M | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $611K | 29 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $11M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $681K | 1.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $85K | 25 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $234K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $302K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $471K | 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 Douglas 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
- Winter storms in WisconsinThe state's winter storm records, 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 Douglas CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Douglas County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis