Since 1844, there have been 1,537 documented tornadoes in “America’s Dairyland,” resulting in over 500 deaths and more than 3,000 injuries.
While the statistical data on tornadoes in Wisconsin before 1950 is incomplete, largely in part that only large tornadoes were reported, there are about 23 tornadoes each year.
Other severe weather events, such as flooding, hail, and high wind thunderstorms are common during from April to August.
The majority of tornadoes in Wisconsin occur in June and taper off in July and August, but historical data reports that tornadoes have touched down every month but February.
The length and size of tornadoes have decreased since 2008, but the damage is still substantial. The average duration of a tornado in Wisconsin is 7.1 minutes, with a path length of 3.7 miles and a width of 118 yards.
The worst tornadoes to strike Wisconsin in the last few decades include an F5 twister in Barneveld on June 8, 1984. The tornado resulted in 40 million dollars’ worth of damage, nine
fatalities, and 200 injuries.
On July 18, 1996, an F5 tornado hit an area east of Oakfield, injuring 12 and causing over 40 million dollars in damages.
Although Wisconsin has fewer tornadoes than it did over 150 years ago, there are an estimated 30 days out of the year with thunderstorms near the Lake Michigan shore with about 40 days of
storms in the southwest region of the state.
Near the Mississippi River in the Southwest part of Wisconsin, the risk of a tornado is greater than other areas like Madison or Green Bay.
The northern part of the state has fewer severe weather events or risks than other parts of Wisconsin.
Residents of Wisconsin are no stranger to tornado or severe thunderstorm warnings during the peak storm season.
Each county receives an average of one to two tornado warnings and between five and ten severe thunderstorm warnings every year.
Flooding events are most prevalent in areas where severe thunderstorms and tornadoes events are higher.
Colder winter months in Wisconsin often means frozen pipes due to extreme temperature and occasional flooding from melted snow.
The most common home insurance claims are wind and hail damage in warmer months and freezing or water damage in the winter season.
The Wisconsin FAIR Plan offers basic property and casualty insurance to homeowners who can’t get insurance through the voluntary markets. As a Wisconsin resident, the FAIR plan is not
your only option if you live in a high-risk area.
The private insurance marketplace is the alternative Wisconsin FAIR Plan and allows you to protect your assets without going over your budget.