Monroe County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55081 · population 46,230 · 901 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 686 records for Monroe County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 399 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (232 records). The deadliest single record is the July 17, 2011 excessive heat, filed for the forecast zone Monroe, which covers the county: 1 death, 6 injuries and $6,560 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1976, 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
- 686on 399 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 862 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $103Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 27strongest F3
- 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 Monroe County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 232 since 1955. 59% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 232 | 116 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $20M | 45 of 72 |
| Hail | 196 | 96 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $17M | 25 of 72 |
| Winter storms | 108 | 107 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 43 | $690K | 53 of 72 |
| Floods | 34 | 23 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $48M | 40 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 25 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 7 | $17M | 34 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 20 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | – | 45 of 72 |
| Drought | 17 | 17 | 2012-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 8 | 2010-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 of 72 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 1999-2026 | 1 | 6 | $7K | 36 of 72 |
| Lightning | 8 | 7 | 2006-2022 | 0 | 0 | $155K | 33 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | $366K | 52 of 72 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 7 | 2000-2023 | 1 | 2 | $145K | 2 of 72 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2010-2019 | 1 | 3 | $14K | 60 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 Monroe County had?
NOAA records 27 tornadoes in Monroe County from 1957 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 34th 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Monroe County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 27: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Monroe County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-08-12 18:35, as SPC files it | New Lisbon | F2 | 22 mi | 2 |
| 1957-04-19 20:15, as SPC files it | Kendall | F3 | 9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Monroe County (27)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-05 | Dellwood, Monroe County | EF0 3.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-06-25 | St Marys, Monroe County | EF0 0.63 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-06-15 | Ridgeville, Monroe County | EF2 15.35 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 2 | $706K |
| 2022-05-19 | Leon, Monroe County | EF0 0.28 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $91K |
| 2021-08-11 | Wilton, Monroe County | EF1 2.77 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2021-08-11 | Norwalk, Monroe County | EF1 5.91 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $53K |
| 2018-08-27 | Watermill, Monroe County | EF1 5.12 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2011-05-22 | Tunnel City, Monroe County | EF2 13.55 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $669K |
| 2011-05-22 | Leon, Monroe County | EF1 6.65 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.2M |
| 2005-08-18 | Tomah, Monroe County | F1 4 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2004-06-23 | Warrens, Monroe County | F1 4.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $117K |
| 2001-09-07 | Angelo, Monroe County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | $33K |
| 2000-07-09 | Norwalk, Monroe County | F1 0.9 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $111K |
| 2000-06-01 | Cataract, Monroe County | F1 4.5 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $197K |
| 1994-04-24 | Cataract, Monroe County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $110K |
| 1988-05-08 | Monroe County | F2 27 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-06-26 | Monroe County | F2 5.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1985-08-12 | Monroe County | F2 5 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-05-10 | Monroe County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-08-30 | Monroe County | F0 0.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-06-14 | Monroe County | F1 9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-07-18 | Monroe County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1968-08-06 | Monroe County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-07-15 | Monroe County | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-04-11 | Monroe County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-08-28 | Monroe County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-04-19 | Monroe County | F3 9 mi x 400 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 Monroe County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 5, 2026 tornado ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
This very short-lived EF-0 tornado damaged some stands of trees as it moved through portions of eastern Monroe County.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1348880)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Excessive HeatMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-05 | TornadoDellwood, Monroe County | EF0 3.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-05 | Thunderstorm WindKendall, Monroe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-04-23 | Thunderstorm WindSparta, Monroe County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-04-17 | HailTomah, Monroe County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | HailTomah, Monroe County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailRosedale, Monroe County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailFort Mc Coy, Monroe County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailKirby, Monroe County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter WeatherMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter StormMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Winter StormMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-07-17 | Excessive HeatMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe A lady with undelying medical conditions passed away from effects caused by the excessive heat on the 23rd. The lady did not have air conditioning in her home. At least six other people were treated for heat related illnesses. For an extended period between the 17th and 20th, afternoon heat indices routinely topped ... | 1 | 6 | $7K | |
| 2019-09-16 | Dense FogMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department reported a fatal crash just west of Cashton. It happened around 7:20 a.m. at the intersections of Highway 33 and County Hwy. PC. One driver failed to yield from a stop sign and struck a commercial truck traveling east on Highway 33. | 1 | 3 | $14K | |
| 2023-01-04 | Winter WeatherMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe A driver was killed when their vehicle lost control on State Highway 71 near Norwalk during the evening of January 4th. Two other individuals involved in the crash were injured, including a passenger in the vehicle that lost control and the driver of the oncoming vehicle. Light snow was reported in the area, resulting ... | 1 | 2 | $23K | |
| 2012-09-27 | WildfireMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe One woman was killed and another seriously injured from vehicle accidents that occurred in thick smoke from a wildfire. In the first accident, one vehicle was rear ended by another. While the drivers where standing between the two vehicles inspecting the damage, a third vehicle slammed into the back of one of the ... | 1 | 2 | $90K | |
| 2021-02-11 | Winter WeatherMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe One person was killed in an accident on Interstate 90 near Tomah. The driver lost control on snow covered roads with the vehicle going into the median, flipping and coming to rest in the opposite lanes of traffic. The driver was ejected and struck by another car. COOP and volunteer snow observers reported that between ... | 1 | 1 | $9K | |
| 2016-12-25 | Winter WeatherMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe One person was killed and another injured in a two vehicle crash on State Highway 71 southeast of Kendall. The automated weather observing equipment at the Sparta airport reported a mixture of wintry precipitation during the afternoon of December 25th. This precipitation created icy roads across the region. | 1 | 1 | $12K | |
| 2022-12-29 | Cold/Wind ChillMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe A western Wisconsin woman died from hypothermia, likely during the last part of December. The woman was last seen leaving a business in Tomah on the evening of the 29th. Both air temperatures and wind chill values ranged from the single digits above zero to the 20s during the last part of the month. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-02-17 | Cold/Wind ChillMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe A 2 year old child died after spending the night outside of an apartment in Tomah when temperatures fell into the single digits above zero with wind chills of 5 to 10 below zero. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-08-28 | Flash FloodLeon, Monroe County | 0 | 0 | $31M | |
| 2011-04-10 | HailTomah, Monroe County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $8.5M |
| 2017-07-20 | FloodWarrens, Monroe County | 0 | 0 | $6.0M | |
| 2006-08-23 | HailWarrens, Monroe County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.9M |
| 2006-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindWarrens, Monroe County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.3M |
| 2017-07-20 | Flash FloodWarrens, Monroe County | 0 | 0 | $5.1M | |
| 2006-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindWarrens, Monroe County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
| 2008-06-07 | Flash FloodMelvina, Monroe County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M |
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: August 12, 1985 (tornado, Monroe 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 Monroe 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 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 43 | 65 | 59 | 30 |
| Hail | 0 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 82 | 49 | 25 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 35 | 35 | 27 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 17 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
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 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 28 · Mar 24 · Apr 59 · May 70 · Jun 153 · Jul 126 · Aug 96 · Sep 38 · Oct 6 · Nov 9 · Dec 36 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Monroe County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Monroe County: 12 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4520 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3454 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-08-27 | DR-4459 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2018-10-18 | DR-4402 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2017-10-07 | DR-4343 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud |
| 2016-10-20 | DR-4288 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2008-06-14 | DR-1768 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3249 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-18 | DR-1526 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2000-06-24 | DR-1332 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1998-07-24 | DR-1236 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms,Straigh Line Winds, Tornadoes,Rain,and Floodi |
| 1993-07-02 | DR-994 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1990-08-30 | DR-877 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-07-07 | DR-559 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Hail & Tornadoes |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3014 | Drought | Drought |
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 Monroe County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 34 flood or flash flood records for Monroe County from 1998 to 2025, on 23 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Monroe County ranks 1319th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.3 million on 97 claims filed in Monroe County; the most in one year was 27 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 5 · 1980: 3 · 1990: 14 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2004: 3 · 2006: 2 · 2008: 13 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2018: 27 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2024: 5 · 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 Monroe County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Monroe County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $30.5 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 | $10.0M | 7.2 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $73K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $14M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.5M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $939K | 3.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $58K | 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 Monroe 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 Monroe CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Monroe County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis