Lincoln County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 287 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,851 nationally and #50 in Wisconsin.
287
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$13.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Lincoln County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lincoln County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 4.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 79 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 25 events fall before 1990 and 262 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $12.7M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lincoln County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 146 | 0 | $167K | 70 | 1975–2025 |
| Hail | 91 | 0 | $2K | 4.5 | 1955–2025 |
| Tornado | 26 | 0 | $12.7M | F2 | 1955–2026 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $152K | 0 | 1996–1999 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2013 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2012 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2000–2018 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $600 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Lincoln County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
27 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 26 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-10 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 21.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1955-05-03 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-09-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-07-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-06-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-07-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-07-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-06-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lincoln County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | BRADLEY | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2011 | Tornado | CORNING | 0 | 2 | $10.9M |
| May 4, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jul 19, 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | MERRILL MUNI ARPT | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | TOMAHAWK | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 1999 | Lightning | TOMAHAWK | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 1999 | Lightning | TOMAHAWK | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado that formed north of Hamburg (Marathon County) at 6:08 pm CDT (1708 CST) moved into Lincoln County at 6:10 pm CDT (1710 CST). The tornado reached EF3 intensity on the north side of Merrill at approximately 6:22 pm, where 22 homes and seven businesses were destroyed. Several homes lost nearly all exterior and some interior walls (DI 2, DOD 7-8). In addition, 22 homes and one business sustained major damage, and 20 home and four businesses sustained minor damage. A 67 year old male was thrown over 200 feet from his bedroom and suffered broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and a bruised lung. Another person sustained minor injuries. The tornado tore a path over 20 miles long in Lincoln County before dissipating. The maximum width was about six tenths of a mile (1050 yards) wide. The average width was about 400 yards.
A dust devil formed during the afternoon on a sunny, mild day, and moved through the backyard of a family home. The dust devil picked up a trampoline, threw it 10 feet in the air, and smashed it into the side of a garage. The whirlwind continued through the yard and picked up burning corn stalks and paper from a fire barrel, swirling the debris around. The dust devil crossed a nearby road into a field and dissipated.
A tornado formed at 8:40 PM CDT near Pine River in southern Lincoln County and produced damage to dozens of trees, (DI 28, DOD 2,3,4), continuing south and entering Marathon County at 8:42 PM CDT. Total path length is estimated to be 2.68 miles long, with a width of 300 yards. Peak wind estimated to be 90 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
28,426
Population (ACS)
$193K
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 |
| Sep 10, 2002 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 2, 1993 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 3, 1977 | Severe Storm | WINDS, HAIL & RAIN | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lincoln County, Wisconsin?
287 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $13.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lincoln County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 146 recorded events — 50.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lincoln County?
27 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 26 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lincoln County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lincoln County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lincoln County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lincoln County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 53 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lincoln 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
- Langlade County 208
- Manitowoc County 275
- Lafayette County 348
- Marathon County 634
- La Crosse County 667
- Marinette County 271
Cite this page
“Lincoln County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/lincoln-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.