Wisconsin severe thunderstorm wind
Every recorded severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955 · 72 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 13,005 severe thunderstorm wind events in Wisconsin from 1955 through June 30, 2026, about 311 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the July 30, 1999 thunderstorm wind in Vilas County: 2 deaths and $3.7 million in damage in 2025 dollars across 5 records. Wisconsin ranks 24th of 52 states and territories by count and 30th of 51 per square mile.
Severe thunderstorm wind in Wisconsin, 1955 to 2026
Thunderstorm wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: all 48 event types recorded from 1996
- Records
- 13,0051955 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 311average
- Deaths
- 20254 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $574Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 2005523 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events common in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin averages about 311 severe thunderstorm wind events a year since 2000, 24th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2005 (523). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Wisconsin records 2401 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955, 30th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1955, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Wisconsin have the most severe thunderstorm wind events?
Per square mile, Milwaukee County leads Wisconsin: 169 days with a severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955, 699.9 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Dane County has the most thunderstorm wind records (489 since 1955); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1955 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the severe thunderstorm season in Wisconsin?
58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (4,132 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 4 · Feb 12 · Mar 179 · Apr 466 · May 1,558 · Jun 3,424 · Jul 4,132 · Aug 2,129 · Sep 843 · Oct 161 · Nov 50 · Dec 47 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1955.
What were the deadliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Wisconsin?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-30 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Vilas County One storm episode: 5 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. A mesoscale convective system moved across north-central, central and northeast Wisconsin during the evening of July 30, 1999. Thunderstorm wind gusts over 70 mph (and possibly as high as 100 mph) produced significant damage across the far north-central part of the state. The hardest hit areas were Oneida county and ... | 2 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 1998-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Washington County One storm episode: 14 records in 14 places; the totals are the episode's. During the early morning hours of Sunday, May 31st, southcentral and southeast Wisconsin experienced an unprecedented, widespread downburst wind event known as a "derecho." Incredibly powerful, hurricane-force straight-line winds, with peak gusts of 100 to 128 mph tore through 12 counties in this part of the state, ... | 1 | 30 | $104M | |
| 1989-05-24 | Thunderstorm WindOutagamie County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (3, in 2 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 1 | 6 | – | |
| 1996-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindTaylor, Jackson County Straight-line winds of 60 mph ripped through the Taylor area early in the morning injuring four persons and claiming the life of a 5 week old baby girl. The storm demolished three mobile homes, which were broadside to the wind, while another nearby mobile home parallel to the wind was untouched. | 1 | 4 | $151K | |
| 2011-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindSomers, Kenosha County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A large supercell thunderstorm, just offshore over Lake Michigan, produced strong outflow winds that moved into far southeast Milwaukee County, and eastern sections of Racine and Kenosha counties during the evening of June 30th. Wind gusts up to 82 mph (71 knots) felled or caused extensive damage to numerous large ... | 65 kt wind | 1 | 3 | $262K |
| 2018-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindEdgewater, Sawyer County Strong thunderstorm winds blew over an oak tree onto an occupied camper, killing one of the occupants and injuring 3 others. Numerous trees were blown over roadways in the area as well. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 3 | – |
| 1997-07-16 | Thunderstorm WindOshkosh, Winnebago County One storm episode: 7 records in 7 places; the totals are the episode's. Severe thunderstorms affected much of northern, central and east-central Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening of July 16 with tornadoes, downburst winds and large hail. Millions of dollars in damage resulted from the biggest severe weather outbreak to affect the region in years.The storms began to develop early ... | 1 | 2 | $8.2M | |
| 1987-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindChippewa County | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2002-07-30 | Thunderstorm WindWautoma, Waushara County Thunderstorms moved through Wisconsin in very warm and unstable air ahead of a cold front. Severe thunderstorm winds and tornadoes downed trees and power lines and damaged buildings across a large swath of central, north central and east central Wisconsin. Thousands of trees and power lines were downed by high winds ... | 55 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2013-08-21 | Thunderstorm WindKeshena, Menominee County One storm episode: 4 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. A broken line of severe storms developed in an unstable air mass ahead of an advancing cold front. The storms produced large hail and damaging wind gusts, at times in excess of 70 mph. | 65 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $158K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Wisconsin
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Washington County One storm episode: 14 records in 14 places; the totals are the episode's. | 1 | 30 | $104M | |
| 2007-08-13 | Thunderstorm WindNew Richmond, St. Croix County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $64M |
| 2001-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindPlainfield, Waushara County One storm episode: 6 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $32M |
| 2002-08-21 | Thunderstorm WindTimmerman Airport, Milwaukee County One storm episode: 7 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $14M |
| 2000-08-05 | Thunderstorm WindEvansville, Rock County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 100 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $14M |
| 2018-08-28 | Thunderstorm WindBrandon, Fond du Lac County One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 96 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $14M |
| 2006-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindWarrens, Monroe County One storm episode: 6 records; the totals are the episode's. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $14M |
| 1997-08-03 | Thunderstorm WindBerlin, Green Lake County One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $13M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events becoming more frequent in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Wisconsin | United States | Wisconsin's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-59 | 38 | 3,482 | 1.1% |
| 1960s | 251 | 10,124 | 2.5% |
| 1970s | 482 | 18,714 | 2.6% |
| 1980s | 1,486 | 39,604 | 3.8% |
| 1990s | 2,477 | 85,554 | 2.9% |
| 2000s | 2,926 | 129,990 | 2.3% |
| 2010s | 3,317 | 161,286 | 2.1% |
| 2020-26 | 2,028 | 126,815 | 1.6% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent severe thunderstorm wind events in Wisconsin
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindForestville, Door County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindAshwaubenon, Brown County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindPembine, Marinette County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindHerbster, Bayfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindSalmo, Bayfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindLake Nebagamon, Douglas County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindAshland County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindBig Flats, Adams County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindBud, Vernon County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindMayville, Dodge County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindMilton, Rock County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $250 |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindFairwater, Fond du Lac County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $250 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for severe thunderstorm wind events in Wisconsin
FEMA files hail and wind disasters under the incident type Severe Storm: 20 declarations in Wisconsin, 19 of them major disasters; the latest on October 7, 2017.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-07 | DR-4343 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud | 11 |
| 2016-08-09 | DR-4276 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 9 |
| 2013-08-08 | DR-4141 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 8 |
| 2012-08-02 | DR-4076 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 4 |
| 2010-10-21 | DR-1944 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 9 |
| 2010-08-11 | DR-1933 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 3 |
| 2008-06-14 | DR-1768 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 31 |
| 2007-08-26 | DR-1719 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 14 |
| 2004-06-18 | DR-1526 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 44 |
| 2002-07-19 | DR-1429 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 8 |
| 2000-06-24 | DR-1332 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 30 |
| 1998-08-12 | DR-1238 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 5 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Milwaukee County: the county's whole recordThe Wisconsin county with the most severe thunderstorm wind events per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in WisconsinTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Winter storms in Wisconsin10,237 records
- Hail in Wisconsin9,265 records
- Floods in Wisconsin2,580 records