Eau Claire County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 317 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,684 nationally and #46 in Wisconsin.
317
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
24
Direct injuries
$23.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Eau Claire County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 79 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 56 events fall before 1990 and 261 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Eau Claire County, Wisconsin record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $16.3M 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 Eau Claire County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 136 | 0 | $2.5M | 97 | 1959–2025 |
| Hail | 126 | 0 | $25K | 4 | 1980–2026 |
| Tornado | 24 | 6 | $16.3M | F4 | 1953–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 17 | 1 | $4.9M | 0 | 2000–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $108K | 0 | 2005–2015 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2019 |
Decade by decade
Eau Claire County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
31 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 25 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 | EF4 | 4 | 3 | 59.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-05-10 | EF4 | 2 | 24 | 162.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1994-08-27 | EF3 | 2 | 25 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-07-15 | EF3 | 1 | 10 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1959-05-26 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 34.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-07-18 | EF2 | 1 | 2 | 38.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1983-07-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-07-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-09-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-09-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Eau Claire County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 1958 | Tornado | 4 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 16, 1980 | Tornado | 1 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 18, 1971 | Tornado | 1 | 2 | $250K | |
| Sep 11, 2000 | Flash Flood | EAU CLAIRE | 1 | 1 | $3.3M |
| May 11, 1953 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 20, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | EAU CLAIRE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 10, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | EAU CLAIRE | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Aug 9, 2005 | Lightning | EAU CLAIRE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Motorist drove around police barricades with vehicle and driver subsequently falling into sinkhole. The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram cited 159 reports of residential damage, and 10 reports of damage to businesses in Eau Claire County. Estimated damages within the city of 1.5 million according to the Public Works director, and another 1.8 million to county property, according to Emergency Management. Rainfall totalled 7.90 inches at the Eau Claire airport, while the NWS cooperative observer 3 miles southwest of Eau Claire measured 5.83 inches rainfall.
Widespread flooding occurred in the city of Eau Claire. 45 homes and businesses sustained minor damage, and 5 sustained major damage due to the flood waters. In addition, a mudslide occurred near Highway 53, on the north side of Eau Claire. Total damages were estimated at $300,000 in the private sector, and $360,000 in the public sector for roads, bridges, and trails infrastructure.
Local officials reported several roads closed across southern Eau Claire County due to excessive rainfall, with amounts of 3 to 5 inches in a 3 hour period. Several culverts were damaged along Highway 53 and Highway 12 near Augusta. State officials estimated that there was about $300,000 in road damage in Eau Claire County.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
107,116
Population (ACS)
$261K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 18, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 2, 1993 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 24, 1980 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Eau Claire 132
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin?
317 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $23.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Eau Claire County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 136 recorded events — 42.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Eau Claire County?
31 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 25 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Eau Claire County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Eau Claire County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Eau Claire County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Eau Claire County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 78 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Eau Claire 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
- Dunn County 353
- Florence County 82
- Douglas County 307
- Fond du Lac County 440
- Door County 252
- Forest County 165
Cite this page
“Eau Claire County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/eau-claire-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.