51
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
36
Direct injuries
$11.2M
Property damage
Tornado in Jefferson County, Wisconsin: 51 recorded events between 1965 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #364 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Jefferson County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Jefferson County is the 2020s, when 16 of the county's 51 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 Jefferson County archive, tornado makes up 8.1% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #364 for this hazard and #6 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 87.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Jefferson County with 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-08-18 | EF3 | 18.6 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1980-06-05 | EF3 | 10.7 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-04-11 | EF2 | 14.5 mi | 1,320 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-27 | EF2 | 32.0 mi | 440 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-02-08 | EF2 | 25.9 mi | 750 yd | Crossed in |
| 1988-05-08 | EF2 | 27.0 mi | 173 yd | Crossed in |
| 1986-09-28 | EF2 | 9.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1981-06-15 | EF2 | 28.7 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-06-05 | EF2 | 6.2 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-06-22 | EF1 | 4.5 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F2 | 3 | 28 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 15, 1981 | F2 | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jul 19, 1972 | F1 | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Sep 28, 1986 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 18, 1971 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2026 | BUSSEYVILLE | EF0 | $1K |
| Jun 23, 2024 | HUBBLETON | EF1 | $6K |
| Jun 23, 2024 | WATERLOO | EF0 | $25K |
| May 26, 2024 | COLD SPG | EF0 | $4K |
| May 26, 2024 | LAKE KOSHKONONG | EF0 | $15K |
| Feb 9, 2024 | BUSSEYVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2023 | PALMYRA | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | PALMYRA | EF1 | $300K |
| Apr 1, 2023 | CAMBRIDGE | EF0 | $100K |
| Oct 12, 2022 | OAK HILL | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind 301
- Hail 176
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An EF1 tornado developed in Busseyville just south of the intersection of Draves Road and Loga Road, and moved northeast about 1.3 miles and dissipated at the intersection of STH 106 and Carcajou Rd. Thirty residential structures were minimally affected, 1 had minor damage , and 2 sustained major damage (one of which had a large tree collapse part of the structure). A vehicle was damaged when a large tree branch fell on it. Total private sector damage was estimated at $620,000, which included $590,000 for residential structures, $25,000 for farm buildings, and $5,000 for the damaged vehicle. Uprooted trees and snapped tree limbs were noted along the path of the tornado. Some crop damage was noted with a loss estimate of about $10,000. Public sector service (non-damage) costs were limited to just debris clearance which totaled $8,000. The exact start location was Lat.42.89798 Lon. -88.98371. The exact end location was Lat 42.91102 Lon. -88.96454. The EF-rating was based on DI 27 (TH) DOD3 which suggests wind speeds between 90 and 100 mph. The average path width was 50 yards.
The fourth of five tornadoes in or near Fort Atkinson developed at 1837CST about 1.1 mile southwest of Fort Atkinson in a grassy area west of The Fireside Dinner Theater which is on STH 26 Business. This tornado moved due east through the southern part of the city of Fort Atkinson, just missing The Fireside which had some 500 guests inside, and dissipated 1.3 southeast of the city center on STH 12/89 about 0.2 mile south of Fox Hill Rd. Twenty residential homes and 5 businesses sustained minor damage, one business was destroyed, numerous many large trees were uprooted or twisted, some power-lines were damaged, and minor crop damage was noted. As for business losses, a portion of the roof of the Rock River Lanes was peeled back, the Best Western Motel had minor sign and roofing damage, and the Fort Plaza Mini Warehouse was destroyed. This tornado was rated as F1 with estimated wind speeds of 64-97 knots (74-112 mph). The average path width was about 30 yards.
Very short lived tornado with substantial damage to under-construction property and many healthy trees snapped. Heavy debris lofted several hundred yards. Path continued northward and hit a house and bent over a stop sign.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Jefferson County, Wisconsin?
51 tornado events are recorded in Jefferson County between 1965 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Jefferson County?
The strongest tornado on record in Jefferson County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/jefferson-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.