Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55039 · population 104,053 · 720 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 873 records for Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 663 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (225 records). The deadliest single record is the February 3, 2018 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Fond Du Lac, which covers the county: 4 deaths. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1974, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides” on October 18, 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
873on 663 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
1586 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$323Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
57strongest F5
FEMA declarations
12latest 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 Fond du Lac County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 225 since 1956. 59% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 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.

Fond du Lac County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 225 155 1956-2026 1 1 $16M 15 of 72
Winter storms 220 219 1996-2026 6 60 $33K 17 of 72
Hail 99 67 1956-2026 0 0 $81K 40 of 72
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 65 62 1996-2013 0 0 – 17 of 72
Tornadoes 57 36 1954-2026 2 24 $150M 10 of 72
High wind and dust storms 56 56 1997-2026 2 0 $1.8M 14 of 72
Heat 40 40 1997-2026 2 0 – 16 of 72
Extreme cold 36 36 1996-2026 2 0 $12K 18 of 72
Floods 27 20 1996-2025 0 0 $153M 39 of 72
Lightning 23 19 1997-2018 0 1 $1.0M 13 of 72
Drought 19 17 2002-2012 0 0 $306K 40 of 72
Heavy rain 6 6 2003-2022 0 0 $9K 34 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 Fond du Lac County had?

NOAA records 57 tornadoes in Fond du Lac County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated F5, with 2 deaths and 24 injuries recorded in the county. That is 10th 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 58 tornadoes whose track touched Fond du Lac County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 57: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 2 of them in Fond du Lac County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Fond du Lac County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1974-04-21 15:30, as SPC files itKekoskeeF358.6 mi2
2004-06-23 19:35, as SPC files itAltoF37.6 mi1
1996-07-18 18:05, as SPC files itUnnamedF26.4 mi1
1996-07-18 18:05, as SPC files itOakfieldF513.3 mi0
1974-04-21 14:40, as SPC files itOshkoshF426 mi0
2004-06-23 19:33, as SPC files itMarkesan to WaupunF333.3 mi0
1977-06-05 20:30, as SPC files itKekoskee to New BerlinF369.5 mi0
1974-04-21 15:00, as SPC files itBrownsvilleF322.2 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.

Every tornado record filed for Fond du Lac County (57)
Every tornado recorded in Fond du Lac County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-10 Eden, Fond du Lac County EF0 0.94 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $46K
2018-08-28 South Byron, Fond du Lac County EF1 0.72 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 Dundee, Fond du Lac County EF0 0.04 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 Dotyville, Fond du Lac County EF1 4.01 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 Eden, Fond du Lac County EF1 4.47 mi x 90 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 Byron, Fond du Lac County EF1 2.83 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 South Byron, Fond du Lac County EF1 0.15 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 South Byron, Fond du Lac County EF1 0.92 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 Oakfield, Fond du Lac County EF0 0.14 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 Ladoga, Fond du Lac County EF1 4.44 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 Ladoga, Fond du Lac County EF0 0.62 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2018-08-28 Alto, Fond du Lac County EF1 4.57 mi x 175 yd 0 0 –
2017-06-12 Waucousta, Fond du Lac County EF0 2.13 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $8K
2016-05-27 Brandon, Fond du Lac County EF1 4.5 mi x 330 yd 0 0 $123K
2011-06-21 Fairwater, Fond du Lac County EF1 0.87 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $20K
2011-06-21 Alto, Fond du Lac County EF1 2.61 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $39K
2006-07-03 Alto, Fond du Lac County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2005-05-06 Pipe, Fond du Lac County F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2004-06-23 Campbellsport, Fond du Lac County F1 4.6 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $469K
2004-06-23 Alto, Fond du Lac County F3 3.6 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $3.0M
2004-06-23 Alto, Fond du Lac County F3 7.2 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $10M
2003-07-06 Campbellsport, Fond du Lac County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2003-06-08 Eden, Fond du Lac County F0 30 mi x 1 yd 0 0 –
2002-09-02 Eden, Fond du Lac County F1 0.3 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $1.2M
2002-09-02 Brandon, Fond du Lac County F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2002-08-21 Lamartine, Fond du Lac County F0 0.6 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2000-06-01 Oak Center, Fond du Lac County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $9K
1996-07-18 Byron, Fond du Lac County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $141K
1996-07-18 North Fond Du Lac, Fond du Lac County F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $376K
1996-07-18 Oakfield, Fond du Lac County F0 0.6 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1996-07-18 Marytown, Fond du Lac County F0 1.2 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $188K
1996-07-18 Marytown, Fond du Lac County F2 4.4 mi x 200 yd 1 1 $1.4M
1996-07-18 Oakfield, Fond du Lac County F5 13.3 mi x 400 yd 0 12 $76M
1990-06-02 Fond du Lac County F2 1 mi x 100 yd 0 1 $2.5M step
1989-05-24 Fond du Lac County F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1986-06-11 Fond du Lac County F2 8 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1985-05-11 Fond du Lac County F1 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1984-10-16 Fond du Lac County F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $250K step
1983-06-15 Fond du Lac County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $30 step
1981-07-20 Fond du Lac County F1 0 0 $25K step
1980-08-04 Fond du Lac County F1 0.4 mi x 67 yd 0 0 $250K step
1980-06-05 Fond du Lac County F1 8.7 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1979-08-09 Fond du Lac County F0 0 0 –
1977-06-05 Fond du Lac County F3 11.2 mi x 300 yd 0 2 $2.5M step
1974-04-21 Fond du Lac County F3 11.9 mi x 200 yd 1 5 $2.5M step
1974-04-21 Fond du Lac County F4 12.5 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $2.5M step
1973-03-11 Fond du Lac County F1 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1972-07-14 Fond du Lac County F1 1.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1968-08-19 Fond du Lac County F2 26.4 mi x 50 yd 0 1 $25K step
1967-07-23 Fond du Lac County F1 6.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1965-05-15 Fond du Lac County F1 0.8 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $25K step
1964-08-22 Fond du Lac County F2 2 mi x 33 yd 0 2 $3K step
1964-08-22 Fond du Lac County F2 1 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $250K step
1962-06-17 Fond du Lac County F2 1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $25K step
1961-09-22 Fond du Lac County F2 12.6 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $25K step
1960-05-21 Fond du Lac County 0 0 –
1954-04-07 Fond du Lac County F2 1.9 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K 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 Fond du Lac County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 24, 2026 thunderstorm wind.

The 12 most recent records kept for Fond du Lac County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-30 Excessive HeatFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac 0 0 –
2026-06-29 HeatFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac 0 0 –
2026-06-24 Thunderstorm WindFairwater, Fond du Lac County 52 kt wind 0 0 $250
2026-06-16 HailArmstrong, Fond du Lac County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-10 TornadoEden, Fond du Lac County EF0 0.94 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $46K
2026-06-10 Thunderstorm WindFond du Lac County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-10 Thunderstorm WindRipon, Fond du Lac County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-14 Thunderstorm WindFond Du Lac Airport, Fond du Lac County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-14 HailRipon, Fond du Lac County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-13 Thunderstorm WindLadoga, Fond du Lac County 52 kt wind 0 0 $50K
2026-03-15 BlizzardFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac 0 0 –
2026-03-14 Winter WeatherFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac 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 Fond du Lac County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2018-02-03 Winter WeatherFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac Six to eight inches of snow accumulation. Four deaths from traffic accidents related to the snow covered roads. 4 0 –
2021-03-28 Strong WindFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac Strong winds and high waves on Lake Winnebago resulted in a canoe capsizing during the evening of March 29th. The canoe was located about one mile north of the city of Fond du Lac and the Fond du Lac river outlet, on Lake Winnebago. Two young male canoeists, neither wearing a personal flotation device, fell into the ... 40 kt wind 2 0 –
1974-04-21 TornadoFond du Lac County F3 11.9 mi x 200 yd 1 5 $2.5M step
1996-07-18 TornadoMarytown, Fond du Lac County A strong tornado (F2) struck Marytown, resulting in 1 fatility (81 year old male) and 1 injury. This tornado actually touched down in Calumet county about 1.1 miles SE of Jericho (see WFO GRB Stormdata report), and then headed southeast into into Fond du Lac county at a point 2.0 NW of Marytown. It destroyed or ... F2 4.4 mi x 200 yd 1 1 $1.4M
2023-03-09 Winter StormFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac Snow accumulation of 6-8 inches. One fatality occurred when a SUV slammed into a jackknifed semi-truck on slippery roads on I-41 north of Fond du Lac. 1 0 –
2021-07-28 Thunderstorm WindRipon, Fond du Lac County Multiple reports of trees down, snapped power poles, road closures, and power outages in the Ripon area. Sheet metal roofing or siding was strewn in the field on either side of Brandon Street, north of the intersection with Highway KK. Damage was assessed to be due to straight-line winds. A man was killed when he ... 65 kt wind 1 0 $25K
2018-01-01 Cold/Wind ChillFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac Wind chill temperatures of 20 below to 34 below zero, and low temperatures below zero occurred at times during this period of prolonged arctic air. Fond du Lac County authorities confirmed one death due to hypothermia. Water main breaks and burst pipes occurred across the area. Some public and private events were ... 1 0 –
2017-12-25 Cold/Wind ChillFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac Wind chill temperatures of 20 below to 34 below zero, and low temperatures below zero occurred at times during this period of prolonged arctic air. Fond du Lac County authorities confirmed one death due to hypothermia. Water main breaks and burst pipes occurred across the area. Some public and private events were ... 1 0 –

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 Fond du Lac County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2004-06-01 FloodFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac 0 0 $105M
1996-07-18 TornadoOakfield, Fond du Lac County F5 13.3 mi x 400 yd 0 12 $76M
2008-06-12 Flash FloodRipon, Fond du Lac County 0 0 $23M
2008-06-08 Flash FloodRipon, Fond du Lac County 0 0 $19M
2004-06-23 TornadoAlto, Fond du Lac County F3 7.2 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $10M
2018-08-28 Thunderstorm WindBrandon, Fond du Lac County 96 kt wind 0 0 $9.0M
1996-06-17 FloodFond du Lac County · forecast zone Fond Du Lac 0 0 $4.7M
1998-05-31 Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Fond du Lac County 0 1 $3.8M

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: April 21, 1974 (tornado, Fond du Lac County, 1 killed); June 5, 1977 (tornado, Fond du Lac County); June 2, 1990 (tornado, Fond du Lac 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 Fond du Lac 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).

Fond du Lac County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind1794237514137
Winter storms––––14618659
Hail136311332814
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds––––448130
Tornadoes1868711151
High wind and dust storms––––427196

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

59% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 89 · Feb 74 · Mar 63 · Apr 42 · May 48 · Jun 128 · Jul 139 · Aug 101 · Sep 49 · Oct 33 · Nov 29 · Dec 78 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Fond du Lac County

FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Fond du Lac County: 9 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and severe storm (3).

Declarations including Fond du Lac County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2020-04-04DR-4520BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3454BiologicalCovid-19
2018-10-18DR-4402FloodSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides
2008-06-14DR-1768Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2005-09-13EM-3249HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2004-06-18DR-1526Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
1996-08-02DR-1131FloodSevere Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes
1993-07-02DR-994Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1986-10-07DR-775FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1976-06-17EM-3014DroughtDrought
1976-03-23DR-496FloodSevere Storms, Icing, Wind & Flooding
1974-04-26DR-431TornadoTornadoes

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 Fond du Lac County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Fond du Lac County from 1996 to 2025, on 20 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fond du Lac County ranks 484th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.4 million on 523 claims filed in Fond du Lac County; the most in one year was 282 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 8 · 1979: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 2 · 1986: 31 · 1989: 18 · 1991: 2 · 1993: 8 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1998: 2 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 6 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 18 · 2008: 282 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 110 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 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 Fond du Lac County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fond du Lac County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $44.1 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 Fond du Lac County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Cold WaveRelatively High$9.7M5.8 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$2.0M3.4 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Moderate$3.0M3.3 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$8.0Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Moderate$19Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$150K15 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$449K34 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$1.2M2.5 modeled event-days a year

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Fond du Lac County

  1. Dodge County 1,084
  2. Washington County 882
  3. Fond du Lac County 873
  4. Sheboygan County 734
  5. Green Lake County 606
  6. Winnebago County 591
  7. Calumet County 431

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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