NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cornell, 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 Cornell, Wisconsin since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 52 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 52
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Cornell
The highest rating among the 52 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on July 30, 1977, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on June 4, 1958, killed 3 people. Of the 52, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on December 15, 2021. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cornell. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1965, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cornell.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Cornell
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s4(1 EF3+)
- 2000s4(1 EF3+)
- 1990s2
- 1980s14
- 1970s10(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s7(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 1958 | F4 | 11 mi | 11.1 mi | 3 / 50 |
| May 10, 1953 | F4 | 17 mi | 162 mi | 2 / 24 |
| Jul 30, 1977 | F4 | 8 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 20 |
| May 16, 2017 | EF3 | 12 mi | 82.53 mi | 1 / 25 |
| Sep 2, 2002 | F3 | 22 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 27 |
| Sep 28, 1971 | F3 | 18 mi | 49.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 4, 1958 | F3 | 14 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 15, 1980 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.2 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Jul 30, 1977 | F2 | 3 mi | 34.5 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Dec 15, 2021 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2002 | F2 | 17 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 3, 1986 | F2 | 24 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 52, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cornell
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Cornell since 1965, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 20 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 July 10, 2023. The most recent report is from June 5, 2024. July has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cornell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Holcombe, WI, 5 miles northeast of Cornell at 1,057 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 22°F and 2°F. June is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 1.0 inches; the year adds up to 33.4 inches. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 173 nights a year. That 33.4 inches is more than at 49 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (30%). Cadott, 13 miles south, has its own station (Stanley Wwtp, WI): 32.5 inches a year, 0.9 less than here, and the same July average high, 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 28 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 39 | 18 | 1.7 |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 3.0 |
| May | 66 | 45 | 3.9 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.7 |
| Jul | 80 | 59 | 3.9 |
| Aug | 77 | 56 | 4.3 |
| Sep | 70 | 48 | 3.7 |
| Oct | 56 | 36 | 3.0 |
| Nov | 40 | 24 | 1.9 |
| Dec | 28 | 12 | 1.3 |
| Year | 53 | 33 | 33.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Holcombe, WI (1,057 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.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Cornell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 36 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cornell: 30 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $308,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 27, 2010.
July 23, 2005: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Cornell — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “Extensive tree and power line damage was reported countywide. At Chippewa Valley Regional Airport a large hangar door was ripped off and planes suffered minor damage.”
August 11, 2007: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Cornell — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning struck a home, which burned. The home was determined to be a near total loss.”
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
Chippewa County, which includes Cornell, has been named in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 4, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chippewa County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.7 million a year, the 27th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.4 million (52%), 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 Cornell
- Holcombe, WI7 mi
- Cadott, WI13 mi
- Bloomer, WI16 mi
- Stanley, WI18 mi
- New Auburn, WI18 mi
- Chippewa Falls, WI19 mi
- Bruce, WI21 mi
- Ladysmith, WI22 mi
- Thorp, WI23 mi
- Chetek, WI25 mi
- Withee, WI28 mi
- Altoona, WI28 mi
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