Oconto County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55083 · population 38,902 · 997 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 520 records for Oconto County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 368 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (159 records). 273 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 August 3, 2014 lightning: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 6 declarations naming the county since 1973, 4 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
- 520on 368 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 210 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $27Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest 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 Oconto County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 159 since 1996. 45% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 | 159 | 119 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $59K | 52 of 72 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 115 | 83 | 1966-2025 | 0 | 3 | $1.5M | 62 of 72 |
| Hail | 86 | 58 | 1965-2026 | 0 | 1 | $4.4M | 60 of 72 |
| Drought | 44 | 28 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 72 |
| Floods | 31 | 28 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 37 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 26 | 17 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 63 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 17 | 1997-2015 | 0 | 0 | $42K | 42 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 12 | 1966-2025 | 0 | 6 | $20M | 62 of 72 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 13 | 13 | 1996-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 72 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 1998-2026 | 2 | 0 | $297K | 41 of 72 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 57 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2006-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 72 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 10 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 Oconto County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Oconto County from 1966 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 6 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Oconto County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-06-07 15:31, as SPC files it | Mattoon | EF3 | 40.1 mi | 0 |
| 1971-09-28 16:00, as SPC files it | Maine | F3 | 78.4 mi | 0 |
| 1969-06-26 11:15, as SPC files it | Pulaski | F3 | 15.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Oconto County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-23 | Oconto County | EF0 2.37 mi x 65 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-23 | Gillett, Oconto County | EF1 2.33 mi x 65 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-25 | Underhill, Oconto County | EF1 0.76 mi x 83 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-07-06 | Gillett, Oconto County | EF1 2.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2013-07-09 | Oconto County | EF0 1.58 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $32K |
| 2007-06-07 | Mountain, Oconto County | EF2 19.1 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 2 | $15M |
| 1996-04-25 | Pensaukee, Oconto County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1980-05-30 | Oconto County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-06-16 | Oconto County | F2 15.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-06-13 | Oconto County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-06-14 | Oconto County | F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-09-28 | Oconto County | F3 16.4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 1966-06-04 | Oconto County | F2 4.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-06-04 | Oconto County | F2 4.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-06-04 | Oconto County | F2 5.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Oconto County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 10, 2026 lightning ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Excessive HeatOconto County · forecast zone Southern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | HailMorgan, Oconto County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | LightningTownsend, Oconto County | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2026-04-03 | Ice StormOconto County · forecast zone Northern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-03 | Ice StormOconto County · forecast zone Southern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter StormOconto County · forecast zone Northern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | BlizzardOconto County · forecast zone Southern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | BlizzardOconto County · forecast zone Northern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormOconto County · forecast zone Southern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormOconto County · forecast zone Northern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOconto County · forecast zone Northern Oconto | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOconto County · forecast zone Southern Oconto | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-08-03 | LightningMorgan, Oconto County Lightning from a thunderstorm that quickly developed west of Abrams killed two men working on a tree house at a home on County Road E in the Town of Morgan. The men were struck by lightning from the storm as it passed about two miles to their south. One of the men, a 27-year-old, was killed instantly. The other, a ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1971-09-28 | TornadoOconto County | F3 16.4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 2007-06-07 | TornadoMountain, Oconto County The long-track tornado moved from Langlade Co. into Oconto Co. about 8 miles west of Mountain at 4:58 PM CDT. The tornado reached a width of three-quarters of a mile wide as it flattened over 7000 acres of trees in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (DI 27, DOD4). The tornado destroyed or heavily damaged 12 homes ... | EF2 19.1 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 2 | $15M |
| 1994-09-13 | Thunderstorm WindBrazeau, Oconto County | 0 | 2 | $398K | |
| 1998-03-29 | HailOconto County Two prolific hail-producing thunderstorms dropped hail as large as baseballs and grapefruits across parts of central and east-central Wisconsin during the late morning and afternoon of March 29. It was the worst hailstorm ever, in terms of damage, to strike the Appleton area. A car dealership in Appleton reported ... | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1987-08-01 | Thunderstorm WindOconto County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-06-07 | TornadoMountain, Oconto County | EF2 19.1 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 2 | $15M |
| 2006-07-01 | HailHayes, Oconto County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
| 2019-12-30 | FloodOconto County | 0 | 0 | $443K | |
| 2019-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindKlondike, Oconto County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $404K |
| 1994-09-13 | Thunderstorm WindBrazeau, Oconto County | 0 | 2 | $398K | |
| 2019-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindMountain, Oconto County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $346K |
| 2022-05-12 | Flash FloodKlondike, Oconto County | 0 | 0 | $338K | |
| 2026-06-10 | LightningTownsend, Oconto County | 0 | 0 | $100K |
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: September 28, 1971 (tornado, Oconto County); June 16, 1979 (tornado, Oconto County); May 30, 1980 (tornado, Oconto 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 Oconto 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 | – | – | – | – | 25 | 52 | 47 | 35 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 24 | 20 | 34 | 15 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 25 | 19 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 1 | 31 | 2 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 7 | 9 | 13 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 10 | 9 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 58 · Feb 50 · Mar 43 · Apr 48 · May 37 · Jun 66 · Jul 78 · Aug 43 · Sep 23 · Oct 20 · Nov 12 · Dec 42 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Oconto County
FEMA's register lists 6 declarations that include Oconto County: 3 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| 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 |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3249 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 Oconto County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 31 flood or flash flood records for Oconto County from 1996 to 2022, on 28 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Oconto County ranks 1163rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.0 million on 132 claims filed in Oconto County; the most in one year was 53 in 1986. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 3 · 1980: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 9 · 1986: 53 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2019: 38 · 2020: 14 · 2021: 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 Oconto County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Oconto County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.0M | 30 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.6M | 6 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $665K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $595K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $13M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.8M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $43K | 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 Oconto 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 Oconto CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Oconto County's FEMA declarations (CSV)6 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis