NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Nekoosa, 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
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Nekoosa, Wisconsin since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Cristobal in 2020. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Nekoosa
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Nekoosa; the strongest was Cristobal in 2020, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. Nekoosa is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site. The strongest of the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 19, 1957; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an F3 on August 27, 1994, killed 2 people. Of the 61, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. June and July have had the most tornadoes, 13 each. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Nekoosa. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 86 times since 1968, with stones up to 5.5 inches. Nekoosa has more hail reports within 10 miles than 75% of the 416 Wisconsin cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Nekoosa
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CristobalJun 10 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Nekoosa: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Nekoosa
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s8
- 2000s5
- 1990s12(2 EF3+)
- 1980s13(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10
- 1960s7
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1957 | F4 | 12 mi | 21.1 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Aug 27, 1994 | F3 | 5 mi | 10.5 mi | 2 / 22 |
| Aug 29, 1992 | F3 | 22 mi | 28 mi | 1 / 30 |
| Jul 3, 1983 | F3 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Aug 12, 1985 | F2 | 19 mi | 22 mi | 2 / 22 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F2 | 18 mi | 18.2 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Jun 15, 2022 | EF2 | 18 mi | 22.86 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF2 | 1 mi | 64.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2011 | EF2 | 15 mi | 17.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 1992 | F2 | 17 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 16, 1984 | F2 | 18 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 10, 1984 | F2 | 20 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Nekoosa
The Storm Prediction Center has 86 hail reports within 10 miles of Nekoosa since 1968, made on 62 separate days. Of these, 54 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5.5 inches, fell on June 7, 2007. The most recent report is from May 15, 2025. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Nekoosa
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI, 7 miles north of Nekoosa at 1,019 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 25°F and 8°F. June is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 0.9 inches; the year adds up to 31.4 inches over 66 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 163 nights a year. That 31.4 inches is more than at 13 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (8%). Wisconsin Rapids, 9 miles northeast, has its own station (Wisconsin Rapids, WI): 33.4 inches a year, 2.0 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 8 | 1.0 | 3 |
| Feb | 29 | 11 | 0.9 | 3 |
| Mar | 42 | 22 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 56 | 33 | 3.0 | 7 |
| May | 69 | 45 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 4.6 | 9 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Aug | 80 | 57 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Nov | 43 | 26 | 1.7 | 4 |
| Dec | 30 | 14 | 1.2 | 4 |
| Year | 55 | 34 | 31.4 | 66 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI (1,019 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 Nekoosa
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 73 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Nekoosa: 64 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 heavy rain events, 2 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 30, 2002.
March 14, 2019: flood 1 mile from the centre of Nekoosa — 1 injured, $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Runoff from melting snow caused flooding to occur along numerous streams across Adams County. Most county highways were impacted by water with numerous closures.”
September 23, 2010: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Nekoosa — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain fell across Wood County, causing rivers and streams to overflow their banks, washing out roads and damaging homes and businesses. Much of the county received at least 4 inches of rain.”
July 20, 2019: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Nekoosa — $250,000 damage.
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 Nekoosa's ZIP code 54457 have filed 21 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1993, and were paid $122,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 33% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 128 Wisconsin cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 55 have fewer than Nekoosa.
Wood County, which includes Nekoosa, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 4, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wood County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $39.4 million a year, the 19th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.7 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 Nekoosa
- Wisconsin Rapids, WI9 mi
- Arkdale, WI14 mi
- Necedah, WI17 mi
- Hancock, WI18 mi
- Plainfield, WI19 mi
- Friendship, WI20 mi
- Pittsville, WI20 mi
- Arpin, WI21 mi
- Plover, WI21 mi
- Adams, WI25 mi
- Stevens Point, WI25 mi
- Junction City, WI25 mi
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