Price County, Wisconsin
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 55099 · population 14,040 · 1,254 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 508 records for Price County, Wisconsin from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 312 days; the most frequent are hail reports (164 records). The most damaging was the July 14, 1995 hail ($1.2 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1976, 6 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina Evacuation” on September 13, 2005.
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
- 508on 312 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 029 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $79Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 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 Price County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 164 since 1964. 40% of its hail reports since 1964 fell in April and May. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 164 | 75 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 59 of 72 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 138 | 76 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 3 | $1.1M | 69 of 72 |
| Winter storms | 99 | 99 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 71 of 72 |
| Drought | 40 | 39 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 72 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 19 | 1950-2019 | 0 | 26 | $77M | 57 of 72 |
| Floods | 18 | 11 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $306K | 67 of 72 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 15 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 72 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | $63K | 66 of 72 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2011-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 72 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2011-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 72 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 61 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 Price County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Price County from 1950 to 2019, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 26 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 27 tornadoes whose track touched Price County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people, 0 of them in Price County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-06-08 18:15, as SPC files it | Park Falls to Rhinelander | F3 | 68 mi | 2 |
| 2017-05-16 15:42, as SPC files it | Chetek | EF3 | 82.53 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Wisconsin.
Every tornado record filed for Price County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-06-14 | Kennan, Price County | EF0 17.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-16 | Kennan, Price County | EF0 8.99 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-22 | Dover, Price County | EF0 0.8 mi x 275 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-22 | Dover, Price County | EF0 2.14 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2011-05-22 | Worcester, Price County | EF0 1.12 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-22 | Prentice, Price County | EF0 1.15 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2011-05-22 | Lugerville, Price County | EF1 3.29 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2007-10-08 | Fifield, Price County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-05 | Park Falls, Price County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-18 | Catawba, Price County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-30 | Kennan, Price County | F0 3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-30 | Catawba, Price County | F0 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-04-26 | Ogema To, Price County | F2 12 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 1993-09-13 | Kennen, Price County | F1 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 1993-08-09 | Phillips, Price County | F1 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $112K |
| 1993-08-09 | Fifield, Price County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1992-05-16 | Price County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1985-06-08 | Price County | F3 21 mi x 2,640 yd | 0 | 26 | $25M step |
| 1984-06-07 | Price County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-06-08 | Price County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-09-20 | Price County | F2 13.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-06-24 | Price County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-06-26 | Price County | F1 24.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1969-05-28 | Price County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1950-06-25 | Price County | F2 8.4 mi x 33 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 Price County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 22, 2011 tornado ($6,560 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A tornado affected the area near the intersection of County Highway H and Willow Road. A citizen reported a tornado around this location that further corroborates the damage survey findings. Damage along the path was mostly to trees. A small shed was destroyed, a metal barn lost some roof paneling, and several large trees were snapped at one property. [DI 1 (SBO), DOD 2, EXP, Est. Gust 75-80 mph].
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 319111)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | HailKaiser, Price County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | HailKaiser, Price County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | Heavy SnowPrice County · forecast zone Price | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Heavy SnowPrice County · forecast zone Price | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillPrice County · forecast zone Price | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Heavy SnowPrice County · forecast zone Price | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | Winter StormPrice County · forecast zone Price | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-08 | Heavy SnowPrice County · forecast zone Price | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindLymantown, Price County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindLymantown, Price County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindKaiser, Price County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-29 | Ice StormPrice County · forecast zone Price | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-06-08 | TornadoPrice County | F3 21 mi x 2,640 yd | 0 | 26 | $25M step |
| 1999-07-30 | Thunderstorm WindPhillips, Price County The strong winds blew down trees and power lines and flipped a boat and trailer, tossing them 71 feet. A tree fell on a house, puncturing holes in the roof. The strong winds also blew a 33-inch diameter pine tree down across a minivan, causing minor injuries to 2 people. | 0 | 2 | $886K | |
| 1987-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindPrice 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-07-14 | HailFifield, Price County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 1993-08-09 | TornadoPhillips, Price County | F1 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $112K |
| 1993-09-13 | TornadoKennen, Price County | F1 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 1993-08-09 | TornadoFifield, Price County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2011-05-22 | TornadoLugerville, Price County | EF1 3.29 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2011-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindKennan, Price County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 8, 1985 (tornado, Price 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 Price 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 75 | 49 | 17 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 30 | 46 | 31 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 28 | 29 | 31 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 20 | 10 | 10 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its hail reports since 1964 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 32 · Mar 26 · Apr 65 · May 60 · Jun 93 · Jul 83 · Aug 52 · Sep 26 · Oct 10 · Nov 11 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Price County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Price County: 4 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and severe storm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4520 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3454 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3249 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-09-10 | DR-1432 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1999-08-16 | DR-1284 | Flood | Wi-Flood-07/20/99 |
| 1993-07-02 | DR-994 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1977-10-03 | EM-3048 | Severe Storm | Winds, Hail & Rain |
| 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 Price County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 18 flood or flash flood records for Price County from 1996 to 2024, on 11 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Price County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $97,000 on 6 claims filed in Price County; the most in one year was 2 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2010: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2019: 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 Price County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Price County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.2 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 Moderate | $4.0M | 8.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $225K | 31 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.1M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $574K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $212K | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $23K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $9K | 3.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $58K | 1.2 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 Price 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
- Hail in WisconsinThe state's hail reports, 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 Price CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Price County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis