325
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$7.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Walworth County, Wisconsin: 325 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #375 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Walworth County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Walworth County is the 1990s, when 89 of the county's 325 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 Walworth County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 56.7% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #375 for this hazard and #5 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 88.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Walworth County with 88 recorded events, while Dec 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 1998 | ELKHORN | 87 | 0 | 12 | $1.9M |
| Jun 26, 1989 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| Jul 21, 1998 | LAKE GENEVA | 87 | 0 | 2 | $1.5M |
| Sep 13, 2005 | WHITEWATER | 61 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 10, 1999 | DELAVAN | 0 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Jul 7, 1991 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | EAST TROY | 56 | $1K |
| Apr 14, 2026 | LAKE BEULAH | 56 | $3K |
| Apr 14, 2026 | WHITEWATER | 50 | $2K |
| Apr 2, 2026 | ELKHORN | 50 | $4K |
| Apr 2, 2026 | WHITEWATER | 50 | $8K |
| Jul 12, 2025 | WHITEWATER | 50 | $500 |
| Jun 3, 2025 | WALWORTH BIG FOOT AR | 52 | $5K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | WALWORTH BIG FOOT AR | 54 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | WALWORTH BIG FOOT AR | 55 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | RICHMOND | 67 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Walworth County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Law enforcement officials reported trees and power lines down in a 5-mile wide swath from northeast of Tibbets to east of Elkhorn due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 knots (69 mph). Corn crops were also blown down by the damaging winds. Two county salt storage sheds off of County Highway NN in Elkhorn were also severely damaged by the thunderstorm gusts.Winds caused the paneling of one shed to collapse into the structure. The roof of the other shed was lifted from it's foundation, damaging electrical utilities attached to it and adjacent buildings before settling back down. Officials estimate it will cost $800,000 to repair the sheds. Trees also toppled over onto the Lauderdale Lakes Management district's community center on the corner of Sterlingworth Drive and U.S. Highway 12.
Powerful, hurricane-force thunderstorms winds knocked down many trees, power-lines, and an old silo. Additionally, part of a roof of a barn was ripped off, a concrete wall of a machine shed was blown in, and 2 semi tractor-trailers were blown over on Interstate-43. Peak wind gusts were estimated at 78 knots (90 mph), but this number could be 9 knots (10 mph) too low or too high.
Widespread tree damage and power outages in the Village of Fontana-On-Geneva-Lake. Dozens of roads blocked by fallen trees. At least 14 homes sustained structural damage due to fallen trees. A roof blown off a home. A green house destroyed.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Walworth County, Wisconsin?
325 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Walworth County between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Walworth County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Walworth County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Walworth 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 Walworth County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/walworth-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.