NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waldo, 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 Waldo, Wisconsin since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1900. Since 1950, 48 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 48
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Waldo
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Waldo; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. Waldo is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site. The strongest of the 48 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on July 18, 1996; its path came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 4, 1981, killed 3 people. Of the 48, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 83% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Waldo. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1976, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Waldo.
Compare Waldo's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waldo
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Waldo: 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 Waldo
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s9
- 2000s8(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 1996 | F5 | 22 mi | 13.3 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 4, 1981 | F4 | 21 mi | 1.8 mi | 3 / 53 |
| Aug 22, 1964 | F4 | 20 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Apr 21, 1974 | F3 | 9 mi | 58.6 mi | 2 / 18 |
| Jun 23, 2004 | F3 | 25 mi | 33.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1974 | F3 | 19 mi | 22.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 1996 | F2 | 20 mi | 6.4 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Jun 11, 1986 | F2 | 15 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1981 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F2 | 22 mi | 6.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 19, 1968 | F2 | 22 mi | 28.7 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 22, 1964 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 48, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waldo
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Waldo since 1976, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 17, 2006. The most recent report is from August 9, 2020. July has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waldo
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hingham Wwtp, WI, 3 miles southeast of Waldo at 763 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 27°F and 12°F. June is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 34.6 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 148 nights a year. Snowfall averages 48.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 34.6 inches is more than at 84 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (51%). Plymouth, 7 miles north, has its own station (Plymouth Wwtp, WI): 33.5 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 12 | 1.7 | 4 | 11.2 |
| Feb | 30 | 14 | 1.8 | 5 | 14.2 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 2.1 | 5 | 6.6 |
| Apr | 53 | 34 | 3.8 | 7 | 2.2 |
| May | 66 | 45 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 55 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 61 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 60 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 52 | 2.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 40 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 44 | 29 | 2.1 | 5 | 1.4 |
| Dec | 33 | 19 | 2.1 | 5 | 13.0 |
| Year | 55 | 37 | 34.6 | 72 | 48.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hingham Wwtp, WI (763 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 Waldo
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 71 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waldo: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 lightning strikes, 4 floods, 2 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 17, 2017.
May 31, 1998: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Waldo — $792,000 damage.
June 12, 2008: flash flood in Waldo — $702,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding across parts of eastern Sheboygan County. Water depths on road surfaces reached 3 feet or more and there were gravel washouts.”
July 17, 2006: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Waldo — $100,000 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
Sheboygan County, which includes Waldo, has been named in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 4, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sheboygan County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $36.2 million a year, the 20th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.7 million (49%), 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.