Green Lake County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 223 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,297 nationally and #63 in Wisconsin.
223
Recorded events
8
Direct deaths
58
Direct injuries
$16.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Green Lake County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Green Lake County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 2.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 74 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 196 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Green Lake County, Wisconsin record is tornado, responsible for 8 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $12.8M 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 Green Lake County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 95 | 0 | $2.2M | 87 | 1973–2025 |
| Hail | 72 | 0 | $1.5M | 3 | 1964–2026 |
| Tornado | 33 | 8 | $12.8M | F4 | 1950–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $23K | 0 | 2001–2019 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $71K | 0 | 1996–2004 |
| Flash Flood | 3 | 0 | $35K | 0 | 2002–2008 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2003 |
Decade by decade
Green Lake County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
41 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 31 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-04-03 | EF4 | 7 | 50 | 11.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-06-23 | EF3 | 1 | 1 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-06-23 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-06-08 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 29.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1950-06-25 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-08-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1993-06-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 28.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-09-07 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 8.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-08-19 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 28.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-08-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Green Lake County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1956 | Tornado | 7 | 50 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 24, 2004 | Tornado | MARKESAN | 1 | 1 | $675K |
| May 12, 2000 | Hail | BERLIN | 0 | 4 | $1.5M |
| Sep 8, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| May 12, 1985 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 20, 1968 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A strong tornado spun up about a mile directly east of Lake Maria in southeastern Green Lake County, or about 4.2 miles SSE of Markesan, moved east along Sunny Drive with F3 strength (estimated 175-200), and exited Green Lake County along Mielke Rd., or about 6.8 miles SE of Markesan. Numerous trees were uprooted. At least 8 homes or ag-buildings had minor damage, at least 5 homes or ag-buildings had major damage, and at least 5 homes or ag-buildings were destroyed. Near the intersection of Sunny Drive and Pleasant Drive, two people and most basement items were "sucked" out of their home's basement while the home was being destroyed. The husband was found dead and his wife was critically injured. Average path width was about 275 yards.
A strong tornado spun up near the intersection of STH 73 and CTH H, about 2 miles north of the village of Manchester. It increased its strength to F3 (estimated 175-200 mph) as it moved southeast across the southern part of the city of Markesan. Numerous trees were uprooted. At least 18 homes or ag-buildings had minor damage, at least 9 homes or ag-buildings had major damage, and at least 21 homes or ag-buildings were destroyed. This tornado exited Green Lake County at a point 6.4 miles southeast of Markesan, just south of Lake Maria Rd., and continued southeast through Fond du Lac County. The responsible supercell also spun up different tornadoes earlier in Adams and Marquette Counties. Newspaper headline: "A Day Like No Other." Average path width was about 350 yards.
A swath of widespread tree and crop damage across the southern portion of the county. Some structural damage from fallen trees or due to the strong downburst winds. Various roads closed due to fallen trees. Several reports of estimated winds of 70 to 75 mph but NWS storm survey reveals maximum winds around 100 mph in some areas.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
19,263
Population (ACS)
$215K
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 |
| Oct 18, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR |
| Jun 14, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 18, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Green Lake County, Wisconsin?
223 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 8 direct deaths and $16.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Green Lake County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 95 recorded events — 42.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Green Lake County?
41 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 31 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Green Lake County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Green Lake County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Green Lake County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Green Lake County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 58 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Green Lake 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
- Iowa County 371
- Green County 412
- Iron County 114
- Grant County 825
- Jackson County 415
- Forest County 165
Cite this page
“Green Lake County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/green-lake-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.