Waupaca County, Wisconsin severe weather history spans 360 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 51.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,429 nationally and #33 in Wisconsin.
360
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$9.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Waupaca County, Wisconsin severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Waupaca County, Wisconsin severe weather history averages 4.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 131 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 39 events fall before 1990 and 321 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Waupaca County, Wisconsin record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $6.0M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Waupaca County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 185 | 0 | $2.6M | 87 | 1968–2025 |
| Hail | 117 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1974–2026 |
| Tornado | 25 | 6 | $6.0M | F4 | 1951–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $500 | 0 | 2007–2015 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $328K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Flash Flood | 8 | 0 | $260K | 0 | 2003–2026 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $89K | 0 | 1999–2026 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2010 |
Decade by decade
Waupaca County, Wisconsin severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 23 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-09-26 | EF4 | 6 | 3 | 26.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-04-27 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 32.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-08-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-06-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1970-12-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 31.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1959-05-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-06-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-07-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-06-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Waupaca County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 1951 | Tornado | 6 | 3 | $250K | |
| May 28, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $25K | |
| Aug 7, 2013 | Tornado | PARTRIDGE LAKE | 0 | 2 | $25K |
| Jul 20, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | SHERIDAN | 0 | 1 | $150K |
| Jul 12, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | IOLA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 17, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | MARION | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | NEW LONDON | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| May 8, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Another fast-moving tornado formed within a line of severe thunderstorms and raced to the southeast. The tornado struck a church, causing severe damage (DI 9, DOD 6 and 7). A large portion of the roof collapsed, causing failure of two walls. A wall on a new portion of the church was pushed in. In addition, hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted. Several homes along the path sustained damage, mainly from fallen trees. The tornado exited Waupaca County about one mile south of New London at about 12:25 am CDT. The average path width in Waupaca County was 100 yards.
A weak tornado formed 4.2 miles east-southeast of Symco and traveled east just under three miles. At least a half dozen pine trees were snapped along the path and several large trees were uprooted (DI 28, DOD 3,4). Several farm outbuildings were heavily damaged, with metal from the buildings strewn downwind hundreds of yards. A manufactured home was pushed off its block foundation (DI 3, DOD 3). The tornado dissipated about 6.3 miles north-northeast of Northport. Average path width was 75 yards.
A tornado formed south of Waupaca and moved east-northeast to near White Lake. The tornado damaged siding and shingles on six homes (DI 2, DOD 2) and an apartment in a new subdivision near the Waupaca Airport. The garage door of a newer home was blown completely in, causing damage to the roof of the house (DI 2, DOD 4). Another house had a small part of its roof heavily damaged. Numerous trees were also damaged along the path. Peak winds were estimated around 90 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
51,569
Population (ACS)
$211K
Median home value
11
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| 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 |
| Jun 18, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Waupaca County, Wisconsin?
360 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $9.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Waupaca County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 185 recorded events — 51.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Waupaca County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 23 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Waupaca County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Waupaca County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Waupaca County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Waupaca County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 68 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Waupaca 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
- Waukesha County 787
- Waushara County 268
- Washington County 418
- Winnebago County 411
- Washburn County 261
- Wood County 354
Cite this page
“Waupaca County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/waupaca-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.