Polk County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 367 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,394 nationally and #32 in Wisconsin.
367
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
18
Direct injuries
$16.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Polk County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Polk County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 5.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 108 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 64 events fall before 1990 and 303 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Polk County, Wisconsin record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $8.9M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Polk County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 207 | 0 | $6.1M | 83 | 1966–2025 |
| Hail | 109 | 0 | $619K | 2.75 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 34 | 4 | $8.9M | F3 | 1952–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 7 | 0 | $500K | 0 | 2002–2015 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2024 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $18K | 0 | 2019–2019 |
Decade by decade
Polk County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-05-21 | EF4 | 0 | 2 | 9.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-06-23 | EF3 | 2 | 6 | 18.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-16 | EF3 | 1 | 25 | 82.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-07-30 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1953-05-10 | EF2 | 4 | 27 | 105.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-06-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-07-10 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-06-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-07-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 13.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-07-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Polk County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 1953 | Tornado | 2 | 9 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 24, 1952 | Tornado | 2 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 11, 1966 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Aug 8, 2010 | Tornado | LUCK | 0 | 1 | $100K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Straight line winds estimated around 85 MPH produced significant damage on the south and east side of Amery. Emergency management reported minor damage to 26 residential and 3 business structures, major damage to 1 residential and 12 business structures, and the destruction of 7 business structures in town. Six hangars at the Amery airport including the airplanes and supplies inside were destroyed. Four other hangars received moderate damage. Debris from the airport was found up to 2 miles away. A nearby feed mill and warehouse at the local farmers co-op was a complete loss. Highway 46 South was closed for several hours due to debris in the roadway. Dozens of trees in the damage path were snapped 20 to 30 feet above the ground.
Numerous trees down, some on houses and vehicles, in a wide swath across the county. One tree fell through a trailer in Balsam Lake. Pole barn collapsed on western edge of Balsam Lake. Tree fell through apartment building in Balsam Lake. Building under construction in Centuria was taken down.
A large swath of damage occurred from the northwestern edge of Pipe Lake on 220th Avenue, south and east along Pipe Lake, then southeast to the southeast side of Long Lake. The winds caused damage to boat lifts, boat docks, and buildings near Pipe Lake and around Johnstown Township. At least 100 large trees were downed, with some falling on homes, vehicles, and outbuildings. This wind damage was associated with the rear flank downdraft portion of a tornadic thunderstorm.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
45,555
Population (ACS)
$272K
Median home value
10
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 27, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Sep 10, 2002 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES 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 Polk County, Wisconsin?
367 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $16.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Polk County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 207 recorded events — 56.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Polk County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 34 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Polk County?
10 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Polk County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Polk County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Polk County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 63 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Polk 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
- Pierce County 335
- Portage County 331
- Pepin County 135
- Price County 347
- Ozaukee County 225
- Racine County 434
Cite this page
“Polk County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/polk-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.