Adams County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 324 recorded events between 1966 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 51.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,642 nationally and #44 in Wisconsin.
324
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
26
Direct injuries
$17.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Adams County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Adams County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 5.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 104 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 36 events fall before 1990 and 288 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $7.3M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Adams County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 167 | 0 | $7.3M | 85 | 1971–2025 |
| Hail | 109 | 0 | $373K | 2 | 1966–2026 |
| Tornado | 17 | 0 | $7.0M | F2 | 1971–2011 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $845K | 0 | 2010–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 7 | 0 | $1.6M | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $63K | 0 | 1997–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2020 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2022 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $80K | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Adams County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-08-27 | EF3 | 2 | 22 | 10.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-22 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 64.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-07-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1980-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 23.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-06-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-08-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-06-23 | EF1 | 0 | 13 | 18.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Adams County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2004 | Tornado | WHITE CREEK | 0 | 13 | $100K |
| Jun 24, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | BROOKS | 0 | 5 | $60K |
| May 18, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Sep 1, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | EASTON | 0 | 3 | $50K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thousands of trees were blown down or snapped across southern Adams County. The damage was south of State Highway 82 across Springville and Jackson Townships. The damage started just south of the intersection of State Highways 13 and 82 and continued east to the Marquette County line east of Jordan Lake and was 3 to 4 miles wide in some spots. Some of the downed trees landed on houses. On Jordan Lake, boats were dislodged from docks and floated out into the lake.
Runoff from heavy rains produced flash flooding across the southern sections of Adams County. County Highway G was closed because of flooding along Big Spring Creek and water was over County Highway H near White Creek. Additional township roads were closed or had water over them.
Runoff from melting snow caused flooding to occur along numerous streams across Adams County. Most county highways were impacted by water with numerous closures. Some homes had water in the basements or first floor. Almost 20 homes sustained minor damage with 5 homes and businesses sustaining major damage. At least two drivers unknowingly drove into washouts on county roads. A county-wide state of emergency was declared.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
21,123
Population (ACS)
$201K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 18, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR |
| Oct 20, 2016 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jun 14, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Adams County, Wisconsin?
324 events are on record between 1966 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $17.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Adams County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 167 recorded events — 51.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Adams County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 21 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Adams County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Adams County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Adams County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Adams County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 71 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Adams County, Wisconsin severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Ashland County 205
- Barron County 421
- Bayfield County 322
- Brown County 392
- Buffalo County 345
- Burnett County 325
Cite this page
“Adams County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/adams-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.