Bayfield County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 322 recorded events between 1965 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,651 nationally and #45 in Wisconsin.
322
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$6.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Bayfield County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Bayfield County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 5.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 118 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 295 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Bayfield County, Wisconsin record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $3.7M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Bayfield County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 172 | 1 | $2.0M | 78 | 1969–2026 |
| Hail | 108 | 0 | $22K | 3 | 1965–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 32 | 0 | $3.7M | 0 | 1999–2024 |
| Tornado | 5 | 0 | $775K | F2 | 1968–1988 |
| Flood | 4 | 1 | $16K | 0 | 2016–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Bayfield County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
5 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-06-30 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 39.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1988-08-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-07-03 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-04-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-07-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Bayfield County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12, 2016 | Flood | CABLE UNION ARPT | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 5, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | DRUMMOND | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | BAYFIELD | 0 | 2 | $1.5M |
| Jul 3, 1983 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jun 30, 1968 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jun 19, 2024 | Flash Flood | HERBSTER | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Jul 12, 2016 | Flash Flood | GRANDVIEW | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 13, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Red Cliff | 0 | 1 | $8K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An 84-year-old Illinois man died when his car became partially submerged into floodwaters along a ditch along County Highway M, about 3 miles east of Cable. The man and his 84-year-old wife were attempting to turn around after encountering a washed out section of the Highway near the Namekagon River, but accidentally backed up into the flooded ditch. The man drowned, but a firefighter saved the wife.
Downburst winds hit the Bayfield waterfront where an art fair was in progress at Memorial Park. Most of the ninety fair tents were demolished and art pieces were tossed into Lake Superior. A woman broke her hand while a man received a large gash on his hand. Numerous large trees were blown down in Bayfield. The local Catholic church lost a portion of its roof, resulting in damage estimated at $300,000. There was an unverified report of a private weather system clocking the wind at 99 mph before it became inoperable. At the Apostle Island Marina numerous boats lost their canvas coverings. Many boats lost their stanchions after being tipped under the docks by the strong winds. Damage estimates at the marina ranged from $25,000 to $30,000. Trees were reported down all across northern Douglas County.
Warm temperatures early in April led to rapid snowmelt of a well above normal snowpack across the region. Additionally, heavy rainfall on top of the snowpack led to additional high runoff across the county as well. Roads began to be impacted on the 11th with water overtopping low spots leading to washouts and failed culverts. Temperatures cooled during the middle of the month along with a heavy snow event the 16th into the 17th. This allowed the runoff to slow and water levels to drop. However, water levels rose again later in the month as this new snow melted as well. Numerous road closures were reported across the entire county due to failed culverts, washouts and gravel roads being washed away. Multiple communities in addition to the county issued disaster declarations due to the extent of washed out roads. Damage estimates were not readily available from the county for the most part. High water continued to impact homes, driveways and farm fields into the latter portion of the month.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,575
Population (ACS)
$241K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 10, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 9, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 8, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Bayfield County, Wisconsin?
322 events are on record between 1965 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $6.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Bayfield County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 172 recorded events — 53.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Bayfield County?
5 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Bayfield County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Bayfield County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Bayfield County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bayfield County as very low risk, placing it in the 35 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Bayfield 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
- Barron County 421
- Brown County 392
- Ashland County 205
- Buffalo County 345
- Adams County 324
- Burnett County 325
Cite this page
“Bayfield County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/bayfield-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.