Wisconsin tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 72 counties with a record
Wisconsin has recorded 1,618 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 27 a year since 2000, with 79 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the June 4, 1958 Menomonie tornado (21 deaths in Wisconsin). Wisconsin ranks 19th of 52 states and territories by count and 22nd of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in Wisconsin, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- 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: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 1,6181950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 27average
- Deaths
- 1011,687 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 795% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 200563 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin averages about 27 tornadoes a year since 2000, 19th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2005 (63). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Wisconsin records 299 tornadoes since 1950, 22nd of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, 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 tornadoes?
Per square mile, Milwaukee County leads Wisconsin: 18 days with a tornado record since 1950, 74.5 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Dane County has the most tornado records (76 since 1950); 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 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in Wisconsin?
51% of its tornadoes since 1950 fell in June and July. The busiest month is June (456 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 3 · Feb 2 · Mar 32 · Apr 115 · May 251 · Jun 456 · Jul 368 · Aug 232 · Sep 107 · Oct 31 · Nov 6 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in Wisconsin?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 | Menomonie · St. Croix, Dunn | F5 | 33.7 mi | 21 | 74 |
| 1984-06-07 | Barneveld · Iowa, Columbia | F5 | 36 mi | 9 | 200 |
| 1956-04-03 | Berlin to Omro · Green Lake, Waushara, Winnebago | F4 | 11.5 mi | 7 | 50 |
| 1951-09-26 | Waupaca · Portage, Waupaca | F4 | 26.4 mi | 6 | 3 |
| 1953-05-10 | New Richmond · Pierce, St. Croix, Polk, Burnett | F2 | 105.7 mi | 4 | 27 |
| 1958-06-04 | Fall Creek to Unity · Eau Claire, Clark, Marathon | F4 | 59.2 mi | 4 | 3 |
| 1981-04-04 | West Bend · Washington | F4 | 1.8 mi | 3 | 53 |
| 1958-06-04 | Chippewa Falls · Chippewa | F4 | 11.1 mi | 3 | 50 |
| 1965-04-11 | Watertown · Jefferson | F2 | 14.5 mi | 3 | 28 |
| 1985-06-08 | Park Falls to Rhinelander · Price, Oneida | F3 | 68 mi | 2 | 42 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside Wisconsin), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in Wisconsin?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in Wisconsin
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 | Menomonie · St. Croix, Dunn | F5 | 33.7 mi | 880 yd | 21 |
| 1984-06-07 | Barneveld · Iowa, Columbia | F5 | 36 mi | 450 yd | 9 |
| 1996-07-18 | Oakfield · Fond du Lac | F5 | 13.3 mi | 400 yd | 0 |
| 1956-04-03 | Berlin to Omro · Green Lake, Waushara, Winnebago | F4 | 11.5 mi | 440 yd | 7 |
| 1951-09-26 | Waupaca · Portage, Waupaca | F4 | 26.4 mi | 100 yd | 6 |
| 1958-06-04 | Fall Creek to Unity · Eau Claire, Clark, Marathon | F4 | 59.2 mi | 880 yd | 4 |
| 1958-06-04 | Chippewa Falls · Chippewa | F4 | 11.1 mi | 600 yd | 3 |
| 1981-04-04 | West Bend · Washington | F4 | 1.8 mi | 100 yd | 3 |
| 1968-08-19 | Marinette · Marinette | F4 | 21.8 mi | 33 yd | 2 |
| 1950-06-25 | Rhinelander · Oneida | F4 | 13.1 mi | 880 yd | 2 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in Wisconsin
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-05-10 | Stanley · Buffalo, Trempealeau, Eau Claire, Chippewa | F4 | 113.7 mi | 100 yd | 0 |
| 1953-05-10 | New Richmond · Pierce, St. Croix, Polk, Burnett | F2 | 105.7 mi | 100 yd | 4 |
| 2017-05-16 | Chetek · Polk, Barron, Rusk, Price | EF3 | 82.53 mi | 1,320 yd | 1 |
| 1971-09-28 | Maine · Marathon, Langlade, Oconto, Marinette | F3 | 78.4 mi | 200 yd | 0 |
| 1963-09-02 | Lafayette, Green | F1 | 70.7 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1980-06-05 | Eastman · La Crosse, Vernon | F2 | 70.2 mi | 67 yd | 0 |
| 1977-06-05 | Kekoskee to New Berlin · Fond du Lac, Dodge, Washington, Waukesha | F3 | 69.5 mi | 400 yd | 0 |
| 1985-06-08 | Park Falls to Rhinelander · Price, Oneida | F3 | 68 mi | 2,640 yd | 2 |
| 2011-05-22 | Tomah · Monroe, Juneau, Wood, Portage | EF2 | 64.5 mi | 800 yd | 0 |
| 1958-06-04 | Fall Creek to Unity · Eau Claire, Clark, Marathon | F4 | 59.2 mi | 880 yd | 4 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every Wisconsin county
All 72 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
The costliest tornadoes in Wisconsin
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-07-18 | TornadoOakfield, Fond du Lac County A violent tornado struck the village of Oakfield at about 1815CST after it touched down 4 miles WNW of the village. During its approach on Oakfield it intensified to a F3 rating. When it tore through the village it intensified to a F4, but along its path 1 to 4 miles east of the village it intensified to F5 strength ... | F5 13.3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 12 | $76M |
| 2005-08-18 | TornadoFitchburg, Dane County A strong and destructive tornado spun up at 1715CST about 2.8 miles southeast of the geographic center of Fitchburg (or 2.0 miles north of center of Oregon), about 400 yards southwest of the intersection of CTH MM and Schnieder Rd. It continued east-southeast to the southern edge of Lake Kegonsa and tore through ... | F3 17 mi x 600 yd | 1 | 23 | $53M |
| 2002-09-02 | TornadoLadysmith, Rusk County The first tornadic supercell to rake Wisconsin this day started just west of Ladysmith and tore through the downtown before moving into rural parts of eastern Rusk County. Injury totals fluctuated at first, but Rusk County Emergency Management stated there were approximately 27 injuries, none more serious than a ... | F3 16 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 27 | $41M |
| 2010-06-21 | TornadoEagle, Waukesha County An EF2 tornado developed about 1.9 miles west-southwest of the Village of Eagle, roughly 1/2 mile south-southeast of the intersection of STH 59 and CTH S, just west of CTH S and west of a horse-riding ranch, and moved east-northeast through the Eagle and then moved due east and then east-southeast before dissipating ... | EF2 5.22 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 15 | $28M |
| 2014-06-16 | TornadoPlatteville, Grant County A tornado formed along a squall line west of Platteville, just south of County Road B, and traveled through Memorial Park on to the Univ. of Wisconsin - Platteville campus. Five people were injured, one of them seriously. There was extensive damage done to five buildings and the stadium on campus. Roofs of two new ... | EF2 3.76 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $26M |
| 2024-06-22 | TornadoAfton, Rock County The tornado began just west of Murray Rd, north of Bass Creek where portions of several trees were snapped. The tornado quickly grew, moved to the east-northeast and produced damage rated EF-1 neighborhoods near Loch Lomond park. EF-2 damage was noted at a residence on the east side of county highway D where well over ... | EF2 6.03 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $23M |
| 2011-05-22 | TornadoLa Crosse County This tornado originally began in Houston County Minnesota and crossed into La Crosse near Target Lake. The first damage occurred on Green Island where numerous mature trees were snapped off and substantial damage occurred to the Green Island ice arena. The tornado then moved into a residential area where buildings ... | EF2 3.35 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 2 | $20M |
| 2008-01-07 | TornadoPowers Lake, Kenosha County This tornado in western Kenosha County was a continuation of the tornado that spun up 2.27 mils NE of Pell Lake in southeastern Walworth County. It crossed into Kenosha County about 0.4 mile north of where CTH U in Walworth County crosses the county line and becomes CTH F in Walworth County. The tornado continued ... | EF3 9.03 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 15 | $19M |
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 4, 1958 (tornado, Dunn County, 20 killed); April 4, 1981 (tornado, Washington County, 3 killed); June 8, 1985 (tornado, Oneida County, 2 killed); August 29, 1992 (tornado, Waushara County, 1 killed); June 4, 1958 (tornado, St. Croix County, 1 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Wisconsin | United States | Wisconsin's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 100 | 4,837 | 2.1% |
| 1960s | 193 | 6,863 | 2.8% |
| 1970s | 190 | 8,633 | 2.2% |
| 1980s | 243 | 8,250 | 2.9% |
| 1990s | 195 | 12,205 | 1.6% |
| 2000s | 255 | 12,892 | 2.0% |
| 2010s | 248 | 12,232 | 2.0% |
| 2020-25 | 194 | 8,234 | 2.4% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in Wisconsin
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | TornadoMerrillan, Jackson County | EFU 0.24 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | TornadoOsseo, Trempealeau County | EF0 0.93 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 2026-06-17 | TornadoBoscobel, Grant County | EF1 11.87 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $220K |
| 2026-06-17 | TornadoLynxville, Crawford County | EF2 18.25 mi x 320 yd | 0 | 0 | $217K |
| 2026-06-17 | TornadoWoodford, Lafayette County | EF0 1.23 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-17 | TornadoMontrose, Dane County | EF1 2.73 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $167K |
| 2026-06-17 | TornadoRidgeway, Iowa County | EF1 6.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $277K |
| 2026-06-17 | TornadoHighland, Iowa County | EF1 8.94 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $446K |
| 2026-06-11 | TornadoSomers, Kenosha County | EF1 0.49 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2026-06-10 | TornadoEden, Fond du Lac County | EF0 0.94 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2026-06-10 | TornadoLomira, Dodge County | EF0 0.72 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $104K |
| 2026-06-05 | TornadoDellwood, Monroe County | EF0 3.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 tornadoes in Wisconsin
FEMA has declared 19 disasters in Wisconsin for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 19 were major disasters, the latest on June 30, 2026.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4923 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 22 |
| 2019-08-27 | DR-4459 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 20 |
| 2018-10-18 | DR-4402 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides | 14 |
| 2010-08-11 | DR-1933 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 3 |
| 2008-06-14 | DR-1768 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 31 |
| 2002-09-10 | DR-1432 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding | 19 |
| 2001-05-11 | DR-1369 | Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 32 |
| 2000-06-24 | DR-1332 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 30 |
| 1998-07-24 | DR-1236 | Severe Storms,Straigh Line Winds, Tornadoes,Rain,and Floodi | 14 |
| 1996-08-02 | DR-1131 | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes | 2 |
| 1993-07-02 | DR-994 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | 47 |
| 1992-09-18 | DR-963 | Severe Storms & Tornadoes | 1 |
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 tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in WisconsinTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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