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Wisconsin · County tornado history

Winnebago County, Wisconsin tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 33 tornadoes in Winnebago County, Wisconsin from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.3 years. That ranks it 20 of 72 counties in Wisconsin with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on June 20, 2020.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
33
Since 2000
21
Strongest
F4, April 27, 1984
Most recent
EF0, June 20, 2020
Peak month
June (15)
Per 1,000 sq mi
57
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 Winnebago County

June has brought the most, 15 of 33. About 79% 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 10
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 1
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
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 Winnebago County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 3, 1956 F4 11.5 mi 440 yd 7 50
April 27, 1984 F4 27.5 mi 60 yd 1 19
April 21, 1974 F4 26 mi 200 yd 35
May 8, 1964 F2 30.6 mi 63 yd 5
June 20, 1979 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd 2
May 28, 1959 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 6, 1971 F1 3.8 mi 50 yd
June 13, 1971 F1 0.3 mi 50 yd
August 14, 1987 F1 0.2 mi 100 yd
May 24, 1989 F1 1.2 mi 50 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Winnebago 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
June 20, 2020 EF0 3.4 mi 75 yd
June 20, 2020 EF0 1.1 mi 75 yd
June 20, 2020 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
June 14, 2017 EF1 8 mi 125 yd
August 18, 2014 EF0 2.1 mi 50 yd
July 27, 2014 EF0 0 mi 10 yd
April 10, 2011 EF1 14.9 mi 150 yd
May 4, 2010 EF0 3.4 mi 100 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 Winnebago County as relatively high, with a score of 91 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.34 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $9,373,010 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 Winnebago County had?

33 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 21 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Winnebago County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on June 20, 2020. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Winnebago County?

An F4 on April 27, 1984, with a 27.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Winnebago 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.