Rusk County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 202 recorded events between 1950 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,434 nationally and #66 in Wisconsin.
202
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
35
Direct injuries
$28.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Rusk County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Rusk County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 2.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 78 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 26 events fall before 1990 and 176 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $26.8M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Rusk County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 98 | 0 | $1.4M | 87 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 77 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1975–2025 |
| Tornado | 16 | 0 | $26.8M | F3 | 1950–2021 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 1999–2016 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2016–2016 |
Decade by decade
Rusk County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
16 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-05-16 | EF3 | 1 | 25 | 82.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-09-02 | EF3 | 0 | 27 | 16.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-07-30 | EF2 | 1 | 8 | 34.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-09-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-08-24 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 34.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-07-22 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 49.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1959-05-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-06-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-01 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Rusk County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2002 | Tornado | LADYSMITH | 0 | 27 | $25.0M |
| Aug 25, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $25K | |
| Jul 26, 1999 | Flash Flood | BRUCE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 1997 | Tornado | SHELDON | 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 first tornadic supercell to rake Wisconsin this day started just west of Ladysmith and tore through the downtown before moving into rural parts of eastern Rusk County. Injury totals fluctuated at first, but Rusk County Emergency Management stated there were approximately 27 injuries, none more serious than a broken leg. The NWS performed a damage survey the next day, and the most severe damage, rated F3, was in downtown Ladysmith. In this area 4 blocks wide and 16 blocks long, 40 buildings were destroyed and 159 damaged. One church was blown off its foundation, although during the damage survey, it was apparent that it had been barely attached to the foundation. A pickup truck was also picked up and thrown into a tree. Two old brick buildings collapsed. As the tornado reached the east side of Ladysmith, it weakened to F2 status. Once it left Ladysmith, the tornado continued on an eastward path, striking a number of rural farm houses and producing mostly F1 damage until it dissipated.
Measured at the DNR Forestry Station. Scattered damage to houses and outbuildings. Numerous trees and power lines down. Memorial Park in Ladysmith lost about 100 trees. One home lost part of its roof. Damage figure is the total from all storms in Rusk County from 1770 to 1815.
A NWS Storm Survey indicated that an EF0 tornado touched down on the west side of Fireside Lake, on Mud Lake Road. This tornado tracked approximately 7.6 miles northeast, before lifting on the east side of the Flambeau River, west of Sheep Camp Road. The tornado was on the ground for 14 minutes with a path width of 100 yards, and a maximum wind speed of 85 mph. Numerous trees were blown down or uprooted along the path. A few trees blew down on lake cabins causing considerable damage. No injuries occurred with this event.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
14,179
Population (ACS)
$163K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 27, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Sep 10, 2002 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 11, 2001 | Flood | FLOODING, SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Rusk County, Wisconsin?
202 events are on record between 1950 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $28.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Rusk County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 98 recorded events — 48.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Rusk County?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 12 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Rusk County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Rusk County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Rusk County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rusk County as very low risk, placing it in the 37 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Rusk 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
- Rock County 735
- St. Croix County 428
- Richland County 268
- Sauk County 500
- Racine County 434
- Sawyer County 382
Cite this page
“Rusk County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/rusk-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.