Jackson County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 415 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 41.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,196 nationally and #24 in Wisconsin.
415
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$12.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Jackson County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jackson County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 5.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 161 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 53 events fall before 1990 and 362 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Jackson County, Wisconsin record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $4.3M 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 Jackson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 173 | 1 | $1.5M | 83 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 122 | 0 | $949K | 2.5 | 1962–2026 |
| Flood | 63 | 0 | $4.3M | 0 | 2008–2026 |
| Tornado | 19 | 0 | $4.0M | F3 | 1954–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 16 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 13 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $415K | 0 | 2010–2016 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2013 |
Decade by decade
Jackson County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
20 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-05-26 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 34.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-07-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-06-26 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 47.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-07-10 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 7.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-05-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 21.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1964-05-04 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 9.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1959-05-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-06-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jackson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | TAYLOR | 1 | 4 | $80K |
| Sep 7, 2015 | Flash Flood | REQUA | 0 | 4 | $400K |
| Jul 11, 1966 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| May 4, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Runoff from heavy rain pushed the Black River out of its banks in Black River Falls. The river crested over thirteen feet above the flood stage at 60.3 feet, which was the 3rd highest crest on record at the time. The hydroelectric dam lost a gate when a large tree traveled through it. Several boats and docks that broke away on Lake Arbutus also traveled through the dam.
Flood waters from Schoolhouse Creek caused U.S. Highways 10 and 12 to be closed in the extreme northern part of Jackson County east of Price. Numerous other roads were washed out with general flooding across the northern sections of the county covering much of the Townships of Cleveland and Garfield. Two accidents occurred when the drivers attempted to drive their vehicles over water covered roads that had been washed out. Three residents were stranded when flood waters overtook a dead end road in the Town of Cleveland. There were no reports of damage to private property with the damage limited to roads.
Locally heavy rains pushed the Black River at Black River Falls out of its banks from September 23rd to the 27th. The river exceeded the flood stage by over fourteen feet, cresting at 61.46 feet. This crest established a new flood of record. Ironically the dam at Black River Falls was being reconstructed during this event and was not in place during the peak. An early damage estimate of $600,000 was lowered to $110,000 at the dam by the utility and local contractor. From the evening of the 23rd to the afternoon of the 24th, 80 homes in the city of Black River Falls were evacuated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
20,981
Population (ACS)
$196K
Median home value
14
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 |
| Oct 7, 2017 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUD | DR |
| Oct 20, 2016 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Oct 21, 2010 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Vaudreuil 182
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jackson County, Wisconsin?
415 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $12.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jackson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 173 recorded events — 41.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jackson County?
20 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jackson County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jackson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jackson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jackson County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 48 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jackson 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
- Iron County 114
- Jefferson County 628
- Iowa County 371
- Juneau County 390
- Green Lake County 223
- Kenosha County 340
Cite this page
“Jackson County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/jackson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.