Severe Weather History


State archive · every county

Wisconsin Severe Weather History

46,089

Recorded events

72

Counties covered

361

Direct deaths

$4.1B

Property damage

Wisconsin severe weather history covers 46,089 recorded events across 72 counties between 1950 and 2026.

Wisconsin severe weather history: recorded events by hazard type
Wisconsin severe weather history: recorded events by hazard type

The Wisconsin severe weather history record is dominated by thunderstorm wind, which accounts for 27.9% of everything logged statewide across 72 counties. Statewide, recorded events have caused 361 direct deaths since 1950.

By hazard type

Wisconsin severe weather history by hazard

HazardEventsCountiesDeathsDamageSpan
Thunderstorm Wind12,8697218$317.9M1955–2026
Hail9,180720$1.1B1955–2026
Winter Storm3,69202$7.6M1996–2026
Winter Weather3,68200$3.0M1996–2026
Heavy Snow2,14302$585K1996–2026
Tornado1,8077297$1.1B1950–2026
Dense Fog1,612012$262K1996–2025
Flood1,4606610$273.2M1996–2026
Drought1,43300$01999–2026
Strong Wind1,17989$4.0M1996–2026
Flash Flood1,0697213$1.2B1996–2026
Cold/Wind Chill1,012089$161K1996–2025
Heat893038$01996–2025
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill67507$32K2000–2026
Lightning6616319$73.4M1996–2026
Heavy Rain570620$1.8M1997–2025
High Wind55009$22.0M1996–2026
Funnel Cloud428670$01996–2026
Ice Storm31301$727K1996–2026
Blizzard30202$594K1996–2026
Excessive Heat279014$76K2000–2025
Lake-Effect Snow10500$02006–2025
Frost/Freeze4900$02000–2023
Lakeshore Flood4600$18.8M2017–2021
Wildfire3132$2.2M1998–2025
Rip Current16014$02016–2025
Waterspout1150$01996–2001
Dust Devil970$4K1996–2013
Seiche810$6K1998–2022
High Surf303$02021–2022
Dust Storm100$300K2020–2020
Debris Flow110$1K2024–2024
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events · dates UTC

County index

Most active counties

CountyEventsDeaths
Dane County1,3066
Grant County8252
Waukesha County7875
Rock County7351
La Crosse County6670
Marathon County6340
Jefferson County6284
Dodge County6210
Milwaukee County5965
Vernon County5864
Trempealeau County5731
Walworth County5730
Monroe County5110
Columbia County5031
Sauk County5000
Clark County4861
Outagamie County4751
Chippewa County4446
Fond du Lac County4402
Racine County4342
St. Croix County4285
Barron County4211
Washington County4185
Jackson County4151
Green County4120
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events · ranked by recorded event count

Full index

Every county in Wisconsin

Quick answers

Frequently asked

How many severe weather events are recorded in Wisconsin?

46,089 events are on record across Wisconsin, covering 72 counties between 1950 and 2026.

Which county in Wisconsin has the most severe weather on record?

Dane County leads Wisconsin with 1,306 recorded events. Ranking reflects reported events, so densely populated counties tend to report more than sparsely populated ones.

Where does the Wisconsin severe weather history data come from?

Totals are aggregated from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of United States severe weather reports, with FEMA and U.S. Census records providing risk and population context. Dates are UTC and recent entries may still be revised.

Cite this page

“Wisconsin Severe Weather History.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/state/wisconsin/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.


Historical reference only — for official alerts visit weather.gov