Washburn County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 261 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 47.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,040 nationally and #58 in Wisconsin.
261
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$3.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Washburn County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washburn County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 3.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 72 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 34 events fall before 1990 and 227 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Washburn County, Wisconsin record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $2.8M 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 Washburn County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 124 | 0 | $27K | 2.75 | 1972–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 117 | 0 | $82K | 70 | 1967–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $520K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Tornado | 8 | 0 | $2.8M | F2 | 1953–2001 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 2022–2023 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Washburn County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
10 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-06-18 | EF3 | 2 | 16 | 34.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1953-05-10 | EF2 | 4 | 27 | 105.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-08-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-07-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-06-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-08-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-06-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washburn County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2002 | Lightning | MINONG | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A video was received County Highway B partially washed out leaving only a thin layer of pavement on one half of the road where it passed over a culvert. Other washouts and closures were reported nearby in multiple locations by the Shell Lake Fire Department.
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 12th with water overtopping low spots leading to washouts, failed culverts and numerous closed roads. Temperatures cooled during the middle of the month along with a heavy rain/snow event the 16th into the 17th. This allowed the runoff to slow and water levels to drop. Multiple communities issued disaster declarations due to the extent of washed out roads with the worst of the flooding abating by the 20th.
A spring storm coupled with frost leaving the ground led to excessive runoff that resulted in damage to two culverts. Pictures show culverts being pushed upward. Protection on the road was necessary due to sinkholes that opened up above the culverts. Both culverts will need replacing. Each culvert is 84 inches by 70 feet with preliminary estimated costs of $20,000 to replace culverts and make repairs to the road along with time and equipment. The Town of Baronett requested an emergency declaration to help cover the costs.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,854
Population (ACS)
$226K
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 9, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS 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 Washburn County, Wisconsin?
261 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $3.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washburn County?
Hail, with 124 recorded events — 47.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washburn County?
10 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washburn County?
10 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washburn County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washburn County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washburn County as very low risk, placing it in the 33 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washburn 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
- Walworth County 573
- Washington County 418
- Vilas County 316
- Waukesha County 787
- Vernon County 586
- Waupaca County 360
Cite this page
“Washburn County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/washburn-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.