Dunn County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 353 recorded events between 1951 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,474 nationally and #36 in Wisconsin.
353
Recorded events
23
Direct deaths
85
Direct injuries
$64.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Dunn County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dunn County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 4.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 116 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 42 events fall before 1990 and 311 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Dunn County, Wisconsin record is tornado, responsible for 21 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $60.3M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Dunn County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 167 | 1 | $4.0M | 75 | 1959–2025 |
| Hail | 132 | 0 | $100K | 2.75 | 1961–2025 |
| Tornado | 24 | 21 | $60.3M | F5 | 1951–2022 |
| Flash Flood | 15 | 0 | $305K | 0 | 2000–2020 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2010 |
| Lightning | 4 | 1 | $178K | 0 | 2001–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2016 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2019–2019 |
Decade by decade
Dunn 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: 19 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 | EF5 | 21 | 74 | 33.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-09-24 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-05-24 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | 59.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1951-09-12 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 24.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1980-07-15 | EF2 | 1 | 12 | 0.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-07-18 | EF2 | 1 | 2 | 38.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-09-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-09-28 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 5.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dunn County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 1958 | Tornado | 20 | 54 | $25.0M | |
| Jul 16, 1980 | Tornado | 1 | 12 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 24, 2021 | Lightning | MENOMONIE | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| May 3, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | BOYCEVILLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 31, 1998 | Tornado | MENOMONIE | 0 | 8 | $400K |
| Jun 13, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| May 31, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | ELK MOUND | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| May 31, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | MENOMONIE | 0 | 2 | $300K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A storm survey indicated that most of the damage was rated EF-0 with winds up to 85 mph. However, the tornado did briefly strengthen to EF-1 on the northeast side of Colfax, at the local high school where a shed was destroyed and two HVAC units where blown off the roof. This is where the winds may have reached 90 mph. The tornado was often less than 25 yards wide but it did widen to a maximum of 100 yards at the local high school athletic field.
A NWS Storm Survey determined a tornado began on the south side of Elk Mound, near the intersection of I-94, and South Holly Road. The tornado moved northeast, crossing I-94, and continued into Chippewa County as it crossed 10th Street, south of 560th Avenue. Most of the damage was EF0 in Dunn County where a barn lost its roof, and trees were uprooted or blown down. The path length in Dunn County was 2.3 miles long, with a maximum width of 250 yards.
A team of NWS employees and local law enforcement officials surveyed a large area of road damage caused by flash flooding. The survey revealed that county roads along the Missouri and Little Missouri Creek northwest of Eau Galle, Wisconsin, had signs of flood damage and mud slides. Several roads were washed out near Eau Galle, Wisconsin. Also, local law enforcement officials reported a mudslide east of Downsville, Wisconsin along County Road C.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
45,527
Population (ACS)
$243K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Sep 10, 2002 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 19, 2002 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 11, 2001 | Flood | FLOODING, SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dunn County, Wisconsin?
353 events are on record between 1951 and 2025, causing 23 direct deaths and $64.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dunn County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 167 recorded events — 47.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Dunn County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 19 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dunn County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dunn County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dunn County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dunn County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 49 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dunn 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
- Douglas County 307
- Eau Claire County 317
- Door County 252
- Florence County 82
- Dodge County 621
- Fond du Lac County 440
Cite this page
“Dunn County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/dunn-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.