Washington County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 418 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,183 nationally and #23 in Wisconsin.
418
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
61
Direct injuries
$70.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Washington County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washington County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 6.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 116 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 63 events fall before 1990 and 355 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Washington County, Wisconsin record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $30.3M 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 Washington County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 197 | 1 | $10.2M | 91 | 1965–2026 |
| Hail | 139 | 0 | $10.1M | 2.5 | 1958–2026 |
| Lightning | 28 | 1 | $4.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 19 | 3 | $30.3M | F4 | 1964–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 12 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2011 |
| Flash Flood | 12 | 0 | $13.5M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $2.0M | 0 | 2001–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2020 |
Decade by decade
Washington 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: 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-04-04 | EF4 | 3 | 53 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-05 | EF3 | 0 | 8 | 69.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-06-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1980-04-07 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 6.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1968-07-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-06-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-06-18 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 5.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2004-06-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-07-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-06-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washington County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1981 | Tornado | 3 | 53 | $25.0M | |
| May 31, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 2 | $8.6M |
| Sep 22, 2025 | Lightning | MICHAELS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jun 18, 2006 | Tornado | HARTFORD | 0 | 1 | $4.0M |
| May 17, 1999 | Lightning | WEST BEND | 0 | 1 | $35K |
| Jun 24, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | KEWASKUM | 0 | 1 | $4K |
| Jul 1, 1991 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding over much of Washington County. Water depths on road surfaces reached 3 feet or more and there were gravel washouts. Some farm fields would remain flooded into early July. The breakdown in residential home losses were: 560 affectd with minimal damage, 60 with minor damage, and 12 with major damage (total of about $2.4 million). Business losses were: 45 with minor damage, and 5 with major damage (total of about $1.125 million). Crops losses were estimated at 3.5 million. Public sector damage was about $0.6 million. Several roads and bridges sustained damage.
This tornado segment is a continuation of the Dodge County segment southeast of Rubicon. This second segment entered Washington County at a location 2.0 miles west of Hartford (about 0.6 mile south of where STH 60 goes east into Dodge Co.) and headed east-southeast through the southern part of the city of Hartford. The tornado strengthened to a high end F1 as it passed through the city. Around 147 residences sustained at least some damage ranging from tree damage to severe structural damage. Ten businesses also sustained structural damage. Lincoln Elementary School's roof was completely destroyed. Estimated damage amounts totaled about 4 million dollars. One person was directly injured by the tornado and two others were indirectly injured. Nobody was killed. The tornado continued east-southeast to a dissipation location 2.7 miles southeast of Hartford (about 0.1 mile southeast of the northern intersection of CTH E and K) at 1339CST. This segment of the tornado track was rated as F1 with winds of 64-97 knots (73-112 mph).
Flash flooding of streets, creeks, rivers, and low lying neighborhoods in West Bend and other communities over northern Washington County. Some vehicles were stranded in relatively deep, still water. The neighborhoods near the Silverbrook Creek Parkway experienced the worst of the flash flooding in West Bend, as several homes suffered foundation damage, while most had basement flooding. Some sewer backups occurred in West Bend. Approximately 316 properties reported flood damage.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
137,879
Population (ACS)
$345K
Median home value
14
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 11, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 5, 2011 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Jun 14, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Washington County, Wisconsin?
418 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $70.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washington County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 197 recorded events — 47.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washington County?
20 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washington County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washington County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washington County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 68 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washington 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
- Washburn County 261
- Waukesha County 787
- Walworth County 573
- Waupaca County 360
- Vilas County 316
- Waushara County 268
Cite this page
“Washington County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/washington-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.