NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit 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 River Falls, Wisconsin since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 89 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 89
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
27 deaths in all
What the records show for River Falls
The strongest of the 89 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on June 4, 1958; its path came within 14 miles, and it killed 21 people. Of the 89, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 45 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. River Falls has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 61% of the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 76 times since 1965, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). River Falls has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 416 Wisconsin cities.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of River Falls
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s13
- 2000s21
- 1990s9
- 1980s11(2 EF3+)
- 1970s7
- 1960s8
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 1958 | F5 | 14 mi | 33.7 mi | 21 / 74 |
| Jun 14, 1981 | F3 | 23 mi | 16.2 mi | 1 / 83 |
| Jul 27, 1987 | F3 | 20 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1958 | F3 | 6 mi | 59.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 10, 1953 | F2 | 2 mi | 105.7 mi | 4 / 27 |
| Jul 18, 1971 | F2 | 23 mi | 38.5 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 15, 2025 | EF2 | 13 mi | 3.94 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 2010 | EF2 | 15 mi | 6.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 2010 | EF2 | 6 mi | 15.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1994 | F2 | 20 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 14, 1981 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 3, 1979 | F2 | 12 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 89, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in River Falls
The Storm Prediction Center has 76 hail reports within 10 miles of River Falls since 1965, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 47 were 1 inch across or larger, and 12 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on June 19, 1988. The most recent report is from August 11, 2023. July has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in River Falls
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is River Falls, WI, in River Falls at 940 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 22°F and 4°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 0.9 inches; the year adds up to 34.3 inches. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 170 nights a year. That 34.3 inches is more than at 78 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (47%). Roberts, 9 miles northeast, has its own station (Baldwin, WI): 33.0 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 4 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 27 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 40 | 20 | 1.7 |
| Apr | 55 | 32 | 3.1 |
| May | 68 | 43 | 4.3 |
| Jun | 77 | 54 | 5.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 58 | 4.4 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 4.7 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.6 |
| Oct | 57 | 36 | 3.0 |
| Nov | 41 | 24 | 1.6 |
| Dec | 27 | 12 | 1.1 |
| Year | 54 | 33 | 34.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at River Falls, WI (940 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 River Falls
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 93 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of River Falls: 73 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 7 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $8.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on May 19, 1996. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 10. Of the 374 Wisconsin cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 269 have had fewer than River Falls.
May 19, 1996: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of River Falls — $3.0 million damage.
May 19, 1996: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of River Falls — $2.5 million damage.
May 19, 1996: thunderstorm wind in River Falls — $1.0 million 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 River Falls's ZIP code 54022 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1989, and were paid $144,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 20% 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, 0 have fewer than River Falls.
Pierce County, which includes River Falls, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 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 Pierce County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.8 million a year, the 44th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.9 million (48%), 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 River Falls
- Roberts, WI9 mi
- Lakeland, MN9 mi
- Hudson, WI10 mi
- Afton, MN10 mi
- Prescott, WI11 mi
- Hammond, WI11 mi
- Ellsworth, WI12 mi
- Bayport, MN14 mi
- Baldwin, WI14 mi
- Hastings, MN15 mi
- Woodbury, MN16 mi
- Cottage Grove, MN16 mi
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