Iron County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55051 · population 6,133 · 758 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 441 records for Iron County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 394 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (251 records). 327 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the March 26, 2018 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Iron, which covers the county: 1 death and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1969, 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
- 441on 394 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 39 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $5.6Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest F2
- 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 Iron County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 251 since 1996. 46% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 | 251 | 250 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 2 | – | 14 of 72 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 59 | 43 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 1 | $52K | 71 of 72 |
| Drought | 49 | 49 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 72 |
| Hail | 40 | 23 | 1980-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 17 | 17 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 72 |
| Floods | 9 | 9 | 1996-2018 | 1 | 0 | $2.1M | 58 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 6 | 1958-2020 | 0 | 3 | $2.1M | 69 of 72 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2011-2016 | 0 | 1 | – | 58 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2004-2011 | 0 | 0 | $11K | 63 of 72 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2000-2013 | 0 | 2 | $1.3M | 49 of 72 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 1 | 0 | – | 9 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 Iron County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Iron County from 1958 to 2020, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 3 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Iron County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-07-07 19:00, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 37.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Iron County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-09-25 | Rouse, Iron County | EF0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-07-11 | Van Buskirk, Iron County | EF1 1.4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-07-27 | Springstead, Iron County | EF1 4.79 mi x 660 yd | 0 | 3 | $217K |
| 1983-06-30 | Iron County | F0 0.1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1970-07-07 | Iron County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1958-07-14 | Iron County | F2 1.5 mi x 50 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 Iron County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 24, 2022 high surf (1 death).
Two men were boating on Lake Superior off Iron County during the morning hours of Thursday the 25th. Northeast winds of 10 to 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots were reported during the early morning hours with waves of 3 to 5 feet. A Small Craft Advisory was in effect. Iron County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 8:55AM CDT that morning from one of the men in the boat reporting that the boat had capsized near Marble Point. Due to the water conditions and lack of road access to the Marble Point area, it took rescuers additional time to reach the two men. One of the men (64, M) had died and rescuers brought the other man to shore where he declined medical attention. The rescue process lasted until just after 4PM CDT.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1053828)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-04 | Ice StormIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Heavy SnowIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Heavy SnowIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-16 | Heavy SnowIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Heavy SnowIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-26 | BlizzardIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-08 | Heavy SnowIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindGurney, Iron County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-29 | Heavy SnowIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-04 | Heavy SnowIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-22 | Winter WeatherIron County · forecast zone Iron | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-26 | Winter WeatherIron County · forecast zone Iron A couple inches of snow fell across portions of northwest Wisconsin through the day of the 26th into the morning hours of the 27th. In the early morning hours of the 27th, a logging truck and vehicle accident occurred in Saxon. Three people were involved with the crash. One person died while the other two were ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2022-08-24 | High SurfIron County · forecast zone Iron Two men were boating on Lake Superior off Iron County during the morning hours of Thursday the 25th. Northeast winds of 10 to 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots were reported during the early morning hours with waves of 3 to 5 feet. A Small Craft Advisory was in effect. Iron County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-07-11 | Flash FloodCedar, Iron County Flash flooding along the Oronto and Parker Creeks damaged the infrastructure of Saxon Harbor and parts of the Saxon Harbor Campground. One man died from the flooding. | 1 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2010-07-27 | TornadoSpringstead, Iron County This tornado likely began on the southern tip of Big Island. Aerial photographs taken by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources showed evidence of tornado damage on smaller islands over the western part of the flowage between the Turtle Dam and Springstead Landing. These islands had large sections of trees ... | EF1 4.79 mi x 660 yd | 0 | 3 | $217K |
| 2000-07-08 | LightningHurley, Iron County A couple were struck by lightning while camping on an island in the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage, causing injuries severe enough for hospitalization. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2016-07-08 | HeatIron County · forecast zone Iron A 79-year-old man with medical complications died in his trailer home during a heat wave. The cause of death was listed as cardiac arrhythmia secondary to dehydration. He had a history of hypertension, which was treated with medication, and he was a smoker. He had a syncopal episode one month prior to his death when ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2000-08-14 | Thunderstorm WindSpringstead, Iron County Several trees were knocked over by strong thunderstorm winds. A man was injured when an 18 inch diameter tree fell on him as he was in his camper on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. Wind speed is estimated. | 55 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-04-12 | FloodIron County · forecast zone Iron | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2013-08-27 | LightningMercer, Iron County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2010-07-27 | TornadoSpringstead, Iron County | EF1 4.79 mi x 660 yd | 0 | 3 | $217K |
| 2016-07-11 | Flash FloodCedar, Iron County | 1 | 0 | $1K |
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: July 7, 1970 (tornado, Iron 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 Iron 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 | – | – | – | – | 35 | 97 | 74 | 45 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 9 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 21 | 10 | 18 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 13 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 63 · Feb 55 · Mar 38 · Apr 31 · May 21 · Jun 31 · Jul 51 · Aug 21 · Sep 16 · Oct 10 · Nov 34 · Dec 70 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Iron County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Iron County: 9 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (6) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4520 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3454 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-10-18 | DR-4402 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2018-08-10 | DR-4383 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2016-08-09 | DR-4276 | 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 |
| 2000-06-24 | DR-1332 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1969-05-01 | DR-260 | Flood | 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 Iron County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 9 flood or flash flood records for Iron County from 1996 to 2018, on 9 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Iron County ranks 2756th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $10,000 on 2 claims filed in Iron County; the most in one year was 2 in 2014. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2014: 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 Iron County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Iron County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.9 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 | $1.7M | 8.9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $73K | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $149K | 28 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | $509 | once in about 65 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $1.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $47K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $614 | 3.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | $90K | about once 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 Iron 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 Iron CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Iron County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis