Sawyer County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 382 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,328 nationally and #29 in Wisconsin.
382
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$1.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Sawyer County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sawyer County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 5.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 154 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 33 events fall before 1990 and 349 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Sawyer County, Wisconsin record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $303K in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sawyer County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 178 | 2 | $257K | 70 | 1971–2026 |
| Hail | 171 | 0 | $500 | 3.5 | 1972–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 14 | 0 | $8K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 8 | 0 | $278K | F1 | 1960–1998 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $303K | 0 | 2014–2025 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $201K | 0 | 2005–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Sawyer County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
8 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-06-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-08-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-08-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-07-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-04-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-12 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-12 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-09-26 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sawyer County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | EDGEWATER | 1 | 3 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | HAYWARD | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2021 | Lightning | HAYWARD ARPT | 0 | 4 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 55 year-old man was killed after a thunderstorm toppled a tree onto the tent where he and his 7 year-old grandson were sleeping on Loon Point Island in the Chippewa Flowage. Rescuers found the man alive the following morning, but he died before he reached the hospital.
Warm temperatures early in April led to rapid snowmelt of a well above normal snowpack across the region. Additionally, heavy rainfall on top of the snowpack led to additional high runoff across the county as well. Roads began to be impacted on the 12th with water overtopping low spots leading to washouts and failed culverts. Temperatures cooled during the middle of the month along with a heavy snow event the 16th into the 17th. This allowed the runoff to slow and water levels to drop. However, water levels rose again later in the month as this new snow melted as well. Numerous road closures were reported across the entire county due to failed culverts, washouts and gravel roads being washed away. Multiple communities issued disaster declarations due to the extent of washed out roads. High water continued to impact homes, driveways and farm fields through the end of the month.
Thunderstorm winds toppled a large tree onto an electrical wire, almost causing a fire. Also, 1.5 miles west of Stone Lake a large oak tree fell across Highway 70 near Golden Pond Road. Also, on Lake Road trees were uprooted and went through the roof a garage and a chicken coop. A 125-year old white pine was uprooted and fell against a home, taking out a dormer. Power was lost for at least three days. Also, strong winds hit the southeast end of Stone Lake where tree loss was in the hundreds. Many boat lifts on the lake were flipped upside down.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
18,476
Population (ACS)
$236K
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 |
| Aug 9, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Sep 10, 2002 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 24, 2000 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Hayward 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sawyer County, Wisconsin?
382 events are on record between 1960 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $1.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sawyer County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 178 recorded events — 46.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sawyer County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sawyer County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sawyer County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sawyer County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sawyer County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 74 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sawyer 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
- Sauk County 500
- Shawano County 287
- St. Croix County 428
- Sheboygan County 276
- Rusk County 202
- Taylor County 293
Cite this page
“Sawyer County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/sawyer-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.