Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 440 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,099 nationally and #19 in Wisconsin.
440
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
26
Direct injuries
$78.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 6.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 126 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 95 events fall before 1990 and 345 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $60.4M 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 Fond du Lac County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 222 | 0 | $12.0M | 96 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 98 | 0 | $54K | 3 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 56 | 2 | $60.4M | F5 | 1954–2018 |
| Lightning | 23 | 0 | $671K | 0 | 1997–2018 |
| Flood | 13 | 0 | $163K | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 12 | 0 | $5.2M | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2010 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $8K | 0 | 2003–2022 |
Decade by decade
Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
57 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 48 touched down inside it and 9 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-07-18 | EF5 | 0 | 12 | 13.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-21 | EF4 | 0 | 35 | 26.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-21 | EF3 | 2 | 18 | 58.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2004-06-23 | EF3 | 1 | 1 | 7.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2004-06-23 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1977-06-05 | EF3 | 0 | 8 | 69.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 22.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-07-18 | EF2 | 1 | 1 | 6.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2018-08-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1993-06-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 28.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Fond du Lac County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 19, 1996 | Tornado | MARYTOWN | 1 | 1 | $450K |
| Jul 19, 1996 | Tornado | OAKFIELD | 0 | 12 | $39.5M |
| Jun 6, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 22, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $3K | |
| Jun 6, 1999 | Lightning | FOND DU LAC | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 31, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
| Jun 2, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A swath of widespread tree and crop damage across the southern portion of the county. Sections of trees and crops completely flattened. Various roads closed due to fallen trees. The widespread wind damage and tornadoes caused structural damage to hundreds of homes, with affected damage to 200 homes, minor damage to 100 homes, major damage to 10 homes, and one home destroyed. One business sustained minor damage.
This tornado was a continuation of the tornado that moved through the southern part of the city of Markesan (Green Lake Co.). It entered Fond du Lac County just south of Lake Maria Road, about 4.7 miles SW of Alto. It moved east-southeast on a line toward Waupun at F3 strength (estimated 175-200 mph), and actually merged with the Lake Maria tornado that moved east out of extreme southeastern Green Lake County. The merger took place just east of a dogleg/bend of Oak Grove Rd., about 2.2 miles SSW of Alto. The civil Town of Alto reported that 19 residential homes had major damage and 1 was destroyed. One business had major damage. Fourteen farms were affected with a tally of 8 ag-buildings/homes with minor damage, 19 with major damage, and 16 destroyed. Crop damage was severe. Public sector damage (roads/bridges) was about $225K. In the city of Waupun (Fond du Lac side), 4 homes had major damage, and roughly 150 had minor roof/siding damage due to severe tree damage. Average path width was about 300 yards.
Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding across much of western Fond du Lac County. Water depths on road surfaces reached 3 feet or more and there were gravel washouts. Some farm fields remained flooded into early July. The breakdown for residential home losses were: 4000 minimally affected, 2100 with minor damage, 125 with major damage, and 15 destroyed (total of $3.87 million for home losses). The breakdown for business losses were: 35 with minor damage (total of $242 thousand). Crop losses were estimated at $9 million. Public sector damage was about $772 thousand. There were several roads and bridges that sustained damage.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
104,137
Population (ACS)
$223K
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 |
| Jun 14, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 18, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin?
440 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $78.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Fond du Lac County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 222 recorded events — 50.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Fond du Lac County?
57 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 48 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Fond du Lac County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Fond du Lac County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Fond du Lac County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fond du Lac County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 76 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Fond du Lac 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
- Florence County 82
- Forest County 165
- Eau Claire County 317
- Grant County 825
- Dunn County 353
- Green County 412
Cite this page
“Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/fond-du-lac-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.