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Wisconsin · County tornado history

Green Lake County, Wisconsin tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 40 tornadoes in Green Lake County, Wisconsin from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.9 years. That ranks it 10 of 72 counties in Wisconsin with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on August 28, 2018.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
40
Since 2000
18
Strongest
F4, April 3, 1956
Most recent
EF0, August 28, 2018
Peak month
June (14)
Per 1,000 sq mi
106
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Green Lake County

June has brought the most, 14 of 40. About 78% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 19
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 12
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Green Lake County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 3, 1956 F4 11.5 mi 440 yd 7 50
June 23, 2004 F3 7.6 mi 300 yd 1 1
June 8, 1984 F3 29 mi 200 yd 1
June 25, 1950 F3 0.1 mi 300 yd
June 23, 2004 F3 33.3 mi 400 yd
August 19, 1968 F2 28.7 mi 50 yd 2
September 7, 1992 F2 8.5 mi 400 yd 1
June 8, 1993 F2 28 mi 1,000 yd
August 27, 1994 F2 10 mi 1,740 yd
May 11, 1985 F1 2 mi 200 yd 1

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Green Lake County was an F4 on April 3, 1956. It killed 7 people and injured 50 along its 11.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 28, 2018 EF0 2.1 mi 50 yd
August 28, 2018 EF1 3.1 mi 90 yd
June 21, 2011 EF1 1.6 mi 100 yd
June 21, 2011 EF1 2.2 mi 150 yd
May 22, 2011 EF0 4.2 mi 50 yd
May 22, 2011 EF0 0.4 mi 30 yd
April 10, 2011 EF0 1.8 mi 50 yd
April 30, 2010 EF0 6.3 mi 50 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Green Lake County as relatively moderate, with a score of 75 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.28 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,222,594 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Green Lake County had?

40 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 18 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Green Lake County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on August 28, 2018. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Green Lake County?

An F4 on April 3, 1956, with a 11.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Green Lake County?

June has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.