480
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$14.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Dane County, Wisconsin: 480 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #128 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Dane County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Dane County is the 2000s, when 108 of the county's 480 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 Dane County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 36.8% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #128 for this hazard and #1 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 96.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Dane County with 145 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 87 | 0 | 2 | $3.1M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2026 | PRIMROSE | 61 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2026 | ALBION | 56 | $50K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | BLOOMING GROVE | 65 | $50K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | BLOOMING GROVE | 70 | $20K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | MC FARLAND | 61 | $30K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | EAST BRISTOL | 70 | $50K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | TOKEN CREEK | 56 | $15K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | DOWNTOWN MADISON | 56 | $10K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | DE FOREST | 70 | $50K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | WAUNAKEE | 61 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Dane County
- Hail 555
- Tornado 75
- Lightning 54
- Flash Flood 47
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Bricks were taken off a building in downtown Madison due to severe, hurricane-force wind gusts to an estimated 65 knots (75 mph). Dozens of power-lines were damaged. At least 3 vehicles were either damaged or destroyed by fallen trees. Many roads were blocked by the tree debris. A large tree was toppled onto a home on the near east side of Madison, resulting in minor roof damage.
Firefighters reported numerous trees, power lines and some power poles downed by thunderstorm wind gusts, estimated at 75 mph (65 knots), along a 5-mile wide path from 2 miles northwest of Roxbury to 2.5 miles east of Marshall. An old barn was completely blown down; a shed was moved 4 feet off of it's foundation; and roof shingles, siding and downspouts were torn off of a couple of homes in the village of Dane.
Madison TV 27 reported numerous trees and power lines blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 65 mph (56 knots) in Middleton. Some cars were damaged by the downed trees, as well as a tree piercing the roof of a condominium. A shed was also destroyed by the damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Dane County, Wisconsin?
480 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Dane County between 1956 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Dane County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Dane County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Dane 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Dane County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/dane-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.