40
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
32
Direct injuries
$43.1M
Property damage
Tornado in Waukesha County, Wisconsin: 40 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #620 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Waukesha County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Waukesha County is the 1980s, when 9 of the county's 40 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 Waukesha County archive, tornado makes up 5.1% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #620 for this hazard and #10 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 78.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Waukesha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-04-27 | EF4 | 6.5 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-06-05 | EF3 | 10.7 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1977-06-05 | EF3 | 69.5 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2010-06-21 | EF2 | 5.2 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 2010-07-22 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1981-06-15 | EF2 | 28.7 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 1977-04-02 | EF2 | 9.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1969-06-29 | EF2 | 13.1 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1967-05-18 | EF2 | 4.7 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF1 | 2.8 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 1984 | F4 | 1 | 14 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 22, 2010 | EAGLE | EF2 | 0 | 15 | $20.6M |
| Apr 2, 1977 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 17, 1987 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | MUSKEGO LAKE | EF0 | $5K |
| Apr 14, 2026 | MERTON | EF2 | $7.4M |
| Jul 29, 2023 | EAGLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | EAGLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Oct 12, 2022 | NASHOTAH | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | BETHESDA | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | LAPHAM PEAK STATE PARK | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | UTICA | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | UTICA | EF1 | $0 |
| Oct 2, 2019 | UTICA | EF1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Waukesha County
- Thunderstorm Wind 349
- Hail 260
- Lightning 59
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado appeared to develop in the Lisbon Oaks subdivision, causing mainly tree damage before intensifying closer to Highway 164. The tornado was at it's most intense near Indian Grass Lane where it caused damage to multiple businesses. The strongest damage was to an insurance car shop port that had a well anchored roof that was completely blown off and found approximated 3 to 4 blocks to the east near Highway 164. Damage then occurred to a church near Wildwood Way and multiple homes along Conservancy Court. Tornado appeared to end near Waukesha Ave along Linda Dr.
An EF2 tornado developed about 1 mile south of Big Bend, 1/8 mile west of of STH 164 between Henneberry Ave. and Kelsey Ave. The tornado partially uprooted trees, broke tree branches, caused corn crop damage and destroyed a garage and pole shed along a 1 mile path that averaged 70 yards in width. Additionally, it flipped over a camping trailer and carried a tool box about 1/2 mile away. The tornado ended about 1.7 miles southeast of Big Bend, 1/3 mile east-northeast of the intersection of Crowbar Dr. and Parker Dr. The EF2 estimated wind speeds of 115 to 120 mph were based on DI 27(TH) DOD4. The exact start location is Lat 42.86466 and Lon -88.20040. The exact end location is Lat 42.86569 and Lon -88.18079.
An EF1 tornado caused sporadic damage along its path. A metal building system had approximately 40 percent of its roof tore away. There was minor damage to the roofs of two residential homes. Five wooden power poles were knocked down. Many tree branches were snapped with some whole trees snapped.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Waukesha County, Wisconsin?
40 tornado events are recorded in Waukesha County between 1954 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Waukesha County?
The strongest tornado on record in Waukesha County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Waukesha 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 Waukesha County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/waukesha-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.