Milwaukee County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 596 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 41.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #594 nationally and #9 in Wisconsin.
596
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
187
Direct injuries
$334.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Milwaukee County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 8.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 161 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 122 events fall before 1990 and 474 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Milwaukee County, Wisconsin record is flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $289.7M 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 Milwaukee County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 250 | 0 | $25.9M | 87 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 209 | 0 | $8.0M | 3 | 1956–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 39 | 2 | $289.7M | 0 | 1997–2026 |
| Flood | 31 | 3 | $113K | 0 | 1998–2026 |
| Lightning | 29 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 1997–2018 |
| Tornado | 19 | 0 | $7.9M | F2 | 1958–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 16 | 0 | $60K | 0 | 2001–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2006 |
| Strong Wind | 1 | 0 | $600 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Milwaukee 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: 16 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-08-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 9.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-08-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-06-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1964-09-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-07-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1959-09-26 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-08-07 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-03-08 | EF1 | 0 | 16 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-07-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Milwaukee County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 2022 | Flood | WEST ALLIS | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2025 | Flash Flood | CARROLLVILLE | 1 | 0 | $60.0M |
| Jul 22, 2010 | Flash Flood | GRANVILLE | 1 | 0 | $24.1M |
| Aug 11, 1969 | Tornado | 0 | 153 | $250K | |
| Mar 9, 2000 | Tornado | MILWAUKEE MTCHELL AR | 0 | 16 | $4.6M |
| Aug 7, 1958 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $25K | |
| Feb 11, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | MILWAUKEE | 0 | 3 | $25K |
| Sep 27, 1959 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 10 year old boy fell into rapidly rising waters of a concrete drainage ditch after a thunderstorm with heavy rainfall. His father and neighbor jumped in to help, but all three were swept away and drowned. The boy was found downstream the next day in the Kinnickinnic River. The other two men were found June 16th in the same river.
Continuation of widespread flash flooding impacts occurring countywide. Delayed flash flooding onset across far northern portions of Milwaukee County, where heavy rain arrived later in the overnight hours of August 9-10, 2025. Additional numerous reports of flash flooding near rivers, creeks, and streams. Numerous reports of water in basements across the impacted area. Portion of 47th street between Churchill Ln & Willow Rd completely washed away from flooding of an unnamed creek in Brown Deer. Flooding impacts contribute to an estimated $65,813,855 in public and individual infrastructure damage across Milwaukee County.
A swath of snapped and uprooted trees and downed power lines from southwest Milwaukee County to Mitchell Field and nearby St. Francis. The ASOS at Mitchell Field measured a wind gust of 79 mph. A power pole was snapped near the airport. Some roofing material of a hangar was removed. Sliding doors to the main entrance of an airport building were blown in. Several cars in an employee parking lot at the airport had windows blown in.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
926,331
Population (ACS)
$231K
Median home value
22
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 |
| Mar 11, 2020 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 5, 2011 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?
596 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $334.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Milwaukee County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 250 recorded events — 41.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Milwaukee County?
20 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Milwaukee County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Milwaukee County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Milwaukee County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Milwaukee County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 98 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Milwaukee 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
- Menominee County 71
- Marquette County 237
- Monroe County 511
- Marinette County 271
- Oconto County 245
- Marathon County 634
Cite this page
“Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/milwaukee-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.