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Storms That Hit

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Black River Falls, WI

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated

No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Black River Falls, Wisconsin since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 43 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
0

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
43

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

no recorded deaths

What the records show for Black River Falls

The highest rating among the 43 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 5, 1965, came within 16 miles. Of the 43, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2024. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Black River Falls. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 37 times since 1962, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 73% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Black River Falls.

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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Black River Falls

By decade

  • 2020s6
  • 2010s7
  • 2000s5
  • 1990s2
  • 1980s5
  • 1970s2
  • 1960s12(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s4(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Black River Falls, Wisconsin
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 5, 1965F316 mi65.2 mi0 / 7
May 26, 1959F317 mi34.3 mi0 / 2
Dec 15, 2021EF225 mi1.13 mi0 / 0
Dec 15, 2021EF216 mi2.8 mi0 / 0
Dec 15, 2021EF216 mi3.13 mi0 / 0
May 22, 2011EF220 mi64.5 mi0 / 1
May 8, 1988F214 mi27 mi0 / 0
Jun 26, 1986F221 mi5.5 mi0 / 0
Jul 18, 1971F215 mi1 mi0 / 0
Jun 26, 1969F219 mi47.5 mi0 / 2
Mar 27, 1968F224 mi5.7 mi0 / 1
Jul 10, 1966F212 mi7.9 mi0 / 3

The strongest 12 of 43, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Black River Falls

The Storm Prediction Center has 37 hail reports within 10 miles of Black River Falls since 1962, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently August 24, 2006. The most recent report is from May 18, 2024. June and August have the most reports, 11 each.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Black River Falls

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Blair, WI, 21 miles west of Black River Falls at 855 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 24°F and 4°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.0 inches; the year adds up to 35.6 inches over 64 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 177 nights a year. Snowfall averages 41.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 35.6 inches is more than at 108 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (65%). Warrens, 21 miles southeast, has its own station (Mather 3 NW, WI): 35.2 inches a year, 0.4 less than here, and the same July average high, 81°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Blair, WI
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow in
Jan2441.0410.0
Feb2981.238.5
Mar41211.758.9
Apr56323.372.5
May68454.880.0
Jun78555.070.0
Jul81594.470.0
Aug79564.670.0
Sep72484.160.0
Oct58352.550.2
Nov42241.842.2
Dec29121.238.8
Year553335.66441.1

Averages for 1991–2020 at Blair, WI (855 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.

Wisconsin weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Black River Falls

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Black River Falls: 53 thunderstorm wind reports, 47 floods, 9 heavy rain events, 4 flash floods and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on August 9, 2005.

  • June 15, 2014: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Black River Falls — 1 killed, $82,000 damage.

    NWS: “An elderly lady died from smoke inhalation after a lightning strike started her house on fire in Black River Falls. At least three other nearby homes also suffered some electrical damage.”

  • September 22, 2016: flood 3 miles from the centre of Black River Falls — $825,000 damage.

    NWS: “Runoff from heavy rain pushed the Black River out of its banks in Black River Falls. 3 feet, which was the 3rd highest crest on record at the time.”

  • September 23, 2010: flood 3 miles from the centre of Black River Falls — $350,000 damage.

    NWS: “Locally heavy rains pushed the Black River at Black River Falls out of its banks from September 23rd to the 27th. 46 feet.”

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.

Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings

Flood insurance policyholders in Black River Falls's ZIP code 54615 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1993, and were paid $370,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 128 Wisconsin cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 14 have fewer than Black River Falls.

Jackson County, which includes Black River Falls, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jackson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.9 million a year, the 57th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.4 million (50%), is from inland flooding.

Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.

Cities near Black River Falls

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