47
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$48.3M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Dane County, Wisconsin: 47 recorded events between 1996 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #663 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Dane County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Dane County is the 2000s, when 22 of the county's 47 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, flash flood makes up 3.6% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #663 for this hazard and #2 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 78.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for flash flood in Dane County with 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2018 | SPRINGFIELD CORNERS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 2024 | MONONA | 0 | $2K |
| Jun 23, 2024 | ROXBURY | 0 | $30K |
| Jun 19, 2024 | MENDOTA | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 29, 2023 | MIDDLETON | 0 | $25K |
| Jun 29, 2020 | MADISON MOREY ARPT | 0 | $5K |
| Oct 2, 2019 | MENDOTA | 0 | $50K |
| Aug 21, 2018 | SPRINGFIELD CORNERS | 0 | $1.0M |
| Aug 20, 2018 | SPRINGFIELD CORNERS | 0 | $1.0M |
| Aug 17, 2018 | MARSHALL | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 16, 2018 | PINE BLUFF | 0 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Dane County
- Hail 555
- Thunderstorm Wind 480
- Tornado 75
- Lightning 54
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The widespread flash flooding of creeks and streets in Middleton, Verona, and the west side of Madison resulted in dozens of flooded or stranded vehicles, over 50 water rescues, and hundreds of citizens stranded in place. One drowning death occurred when a man attempted to escape the flood waters by exiting his vehicle. Many city streets were closed including major thoroughfares. 70 residences in the village of Shorewood Hills suffered water damage with 15 families displaced from their homes. Basement flooding was common in Madison and suburbs to the west and south. Water rescues were also executed just west of Verona on County Highway PD due to flash flooding of the Sugar River. Some rural roads south of Madison and Verona were closed due to flooding from the Sugar River or other creeks, including portions of highway 69. Flood waters at Morey Airport in Middleton tipped over a 500 gallon tank of gasoline and a 1,000 gallon tank of jet fuel. The gas tank leaked and was contained by a containment berm.
Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding as water reached depths of 3 feet or more and several cars stalled. This was the last of 6 flash floods in Dane County on 3 different days. The first one occurred on June 7th, the next two on June 8th, and the last three on June 12th. In all six cases, damage to homes, businesses, and crops was noted. It was nearly impossible to break down the damages by flash flood event. Therefore, the collective breakdown is provided in this last June 12th flash flood StormData entry for Dane County.||Some farm fields remained flooded into early July. The breakdown for residential home losses were: 2020 minimally affected, 248 with minor damage, 109 with major damage, and 3 destroyed (total of $6.797 million). The breakdown for business losses were: 152 with minor damage, and 3 with major damage (total of $677 thousand). Crop losses were estimated at $64.6 million. Public sector damage was about $6.067 million. Several roads and bridges sustained damage.
Severe street flooding due to 3.5-5.0 inches of rain over a few hours. About a dozen or more disabled vehicles due to deep flood waters. A business had its roof collapse due to the heavy weight of the water in Fitchburg on Verona Road.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Dane County, Wisconsin?
47 flash flood events are recorded in Dane County between 1996 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Dane County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Dane County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood 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
“Flash Flood in Dane County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/dane-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.