Ozaukee County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 225 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 37.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,281 nationally and #62 in Wisconsin.
225
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
40
Direct injuries
$27.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Ozaukee County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 3.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 71 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 32 events fall before 1990 and 193 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $11.5M 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 Ozaukee County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 85 | 0 | $4.0M | 70 | 1960–2024 |
| Hail | 71 | 0 | $6.4M | 3 | 1961–2024 |
| Flood | 21 | 0 | $922K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 19 | 0 | $1.9M | 0 | 1997–2012 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $11.5M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $35K | 0 | 2003–2021 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $2.8M | F4 | 1964–2015 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2004 |
| Waterspout | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Ozaukee County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
5 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 3 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-08-22 | EF4 | 0 | 30 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-07-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-08-10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-07-18 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-07-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Ozaukee County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 30 | $2.5M | |
| May 31, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 4 | $3.5M |
| Apr 5, 2001 | Lightning | MEQUON | 0 | 3 | $20K |
| Jun 28, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | CEDARBURG | 0 | 2 | $500 |
| Aug 13, 2002 | Flood | PORT WASHINGTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A lightning strike in the city of Mequon resulted in a fire at a strip mall in the 1100 block of North Port Washington Road that destroyed 9 businesses. Time is estimated. Other severe weather was reported in southern Wisconsin during the pre-dawn hours of June 23, 2010.
Overall, many flooded roads and lowlands due to 4 to 8 inches of rain. Some road washouts and homes flooded. I-43 was closed through late morning due to flooding between mile marker 101 and 107. Many of the cities in the county experienced severe street flooding and closures. The Milwaukee River reached minor flood stage throughout the county with many roads and intersections flooded and closed near the river, especially near Saukville and Cedarburg. Some piers washed away on the Milwaukee River. Dozens of vehicles across the county were stranded in flood waters. Overall, 76 homes sustained affected flood damage, 52 homes with minor flood damage, and 11 homes with major damage. 25 businesses sustained minor flood damage and 5 businesses sustained major flood damage.
Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding from the Mequon area northeast to the Belgium to Port Washington area. Water depths on road surfaces reached 3 feet or more and there were gravel washouts. One hundred twenty-seven homes had minor damage, and 191 homes had major damage (total of $3.765 million for all home property losses). Business losses were about $810 thousand. Crops losses were estimated at $500 thousand. Public sector damage was about $1.1 million. There were several roads and bridges that sustained damage.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
92,966
Population (ACS)
$390K
Median home value
13
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 Ozaukee County, Wisconsin?
225 events are on record between 1960 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $27.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Ozaukee County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 85 recorded events — 37.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Ozaukee County?
5 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Ozaukee County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Ozaukee County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Ozaukee County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ozaukee County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 50 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Ozaukee 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
- Outagamie County 475
- Pepin County 135
- Oneida County 357
- Pierce County 335
- Oconto County 245
- Polk County 367
Cite this page
“Ozaukee County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/ozaukee-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.