301
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$4.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Wisconsin: 301 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 80. That places the county #449 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Jefferson County is the 2000s, when 67 of the county's 301 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Jefferson County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 47.9% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #449 for this hazard and #6 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 85.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Jefferson County with 88 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 0 | 8 | $2.7M |
| Sep 28, 1986 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2026 | CAMBRIDGE ARPT | 61 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2026 | CAMBRIDGE | 70 | $80K |
| Apr 13, 2026 | WATERLOO | 70 | $80K |
| Sep 23, 2025 | IXONIA | 50 | $2K |
| Aug 12, 2025 | SULLIVAN | 52 | $2K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | CONCORD | 55 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | HUBBLETON | 55 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | HUBBLETON | 55 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | HUBBLETON | 55 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | WATERLOO | 54 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Jefferson County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The public reported numerous trees and power lines downed by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 75 mph (65 knots). The damage, in a 6-mile wide swath from 2 miles south of Waterloo to 2.5 miles east of Ixonia, included the destruction of a large pole barn, which had 4-inch by 4-inch support posts ripped out of the ground by the winds. Other homes, barns and sheds were reported to be damaged by the severe thunderstorm wind gusts.
A swath of scattered tree, power line, and structural damage across central and southern Jefferson County. This included many uprooted and snapped trees, power lines down, and fallen trees on homes and vehicles especially in Fort Atkinson and Jefferson. The entire roof of a home was removed by the strong winds in Jefferson near the high school. Lakeview Cemetery in Fort Atkinson suffered significant tree damage with trees down on grave sites. An agricultural business near Hellenville sustained damage to fences and shelters built for animals. A 60 mph wind was estimated at the National Weather Service office several miles southeast of Sullivan.
A swath of scattered tree, power line, and structural damage across northern Jefferson County. This included many uprooted and snapped trees, power lines down, and fallen trees on vehicles especially in Waterloo and Watertown. Eight power poles were snapped on East Clarkson Rd. in Waterloo. A farm on highway B east of Johnson Creek suffered severe silo damage, and a grove of trees were knocked down nearby.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Jefferson County, Wisconsin?
301 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Jefferson County between 1960 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Jefferson County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Jefferson County measured 80.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Jefferson County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/jefferson-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.