44
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$12.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Clark County, Wisconsin: 44 recorded events between 1950 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #513 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Clark County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Clark County is the 2020s, when 18 of the county's 44 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Clark County archive, tornado makes up 9.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #513 for this hazard and #8 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 82.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Clark County with 11 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 | EF4 | 59.2 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1953-05-10 | EF4 | 162.0 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1971-09-28 | EF3 | 49.6 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1959-05-26 | EF3 | 34.3 mi | 67 yd | Crossed in |
| 1950-06-25 | EF2 | 7.8 mi | 17 yd | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-15 | EF2 | 4.6 mi | 230 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 7.4 mi | 75 yd | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 3.1 mi | 250 yd | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 2.8 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 1.1 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 1950 | F2 | 1 | 0 | $25K | |
| Aug 23, 2011 | SPOKEVILLE | EF2 | 0 | 2 | $1.4M |
| Jun 26, 2002 | ABBOTSFORD | F1 | 0 | 2 | $100K |
| Jun 26, 1969 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| May 26, 1959 | F3 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Sep 28, 1971 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2025 | CURTISS | EF2 | $725K |
| May 15, 2025 | LOYAL | EF1 | $45K |
| May 15, 2025 | CHRISTIE | EF0 | $1K |
| May 15, 2025 | CHRISTIE | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2024 | COLBY | EF0 | $15K |
| Jun 17, 2024 | CLARK | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2024 | GREENWOOD | EF0 | $20K |
| May 22, 2024 | UNITY | EF1 | $330K |
| May 22, 2024 | RIPLINGER | EF0 | $33K |
| May 22, 2024 | SPOKEVILLE | EF1 | $70K |
Other hazards here
More from Clark County
- Thunderstorm Wind 216
- Hail 152
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Two people were directly injured and there was an indirect loss of life from an EF2 tornado that tracked across the east central sections of Clark County near Chili. The death occurred when an oxygen machine stopped working due to a power outage caused by the tornado. The tornado was on the ground for just over 7 miles and destroyed four homes, damaged at least 19 others, destroyed four barns and 15 outbuildings with numerous other farm buildings damaged. One farmer lost several specialty birds including 12 peacocks and 16 guinea hens. Around 1500 residents across Clark County were without power after the storms moved through. Damages from the tornado are estimated to be around $1.5 million.
This strong tornado developed in fields west of Unity before tracking northeast toward Colby. As it moved through rural areas of northeastern Clark County, it damaged multiple farm outbuildings, trees, numerous power poles, and a home. NWS Storm Survey indicated EF2 damage to this home as the majority of its roof was removed with the attached garage heavily damaged. The tornado continued into the southeastern edge of Colby where multiple outbuildings, a home, and a car dealership sustained damage. The tornado moved into Marathon County before it quickly dissipated.
A tornado touched down southwest of Unity, moved through the village, and ended northeast of town in Marathon County (NWS Green Bay's warning area). Besides damage to trees and power lines, several homes and garages had extensive damage, especially to roofs.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Clark County, Wisconsin?
44 tornado events are recorded in Clark County between 1950 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Clark County?
The strongest tornado on record in Clark County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Clark County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Clark County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/clark-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.