NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wisconsin Rapids, 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 Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Cristobal in 2020. Since 1950, 50 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 50
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Wisconsin Rapids
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wisconsin Rapids; the strongest was Cristobal in 2020, a tropical storm with 39 mph winds when its centre passed 6 miles away. Wisconsin Rapids is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site. The strongest of the 50 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 19, 1957; its path came within 19 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an F3 on August 27, 1994, killed 2 people. Of the 50, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 81% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Wisconsin Rapids. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 82 times since 1968, with stones up to 5.5 inches. Wisconsin Rapids has more hail reports within 10 miles than 72% of the 416 Wisconsin cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wisconsin Rapids
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CristobalJun 10 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Wisconsin Rapids: 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 Wisconsin Rapids
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s8
- 2000s5
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s11
- 1960s7
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1957 | F4 | 19 mi | 21.1 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Aug 27, 1994 | F3 | 11 mi | 10.5 mi | 2 / 22 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F2 | 17 mi | 18.2 mi | 2 / 2 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF2 | 7 mi | 64.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2011 | EF2 | 22 mi | 17.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 1992 | F2 | 12 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 1985 | F2 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Apr 27, 1984 | F2 | 14 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 1, 1970 | F2 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 1970 | F2 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 22, 1967 | F2 | 24 mi | 21.4 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 50, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wisconsin Rapids
The Storm Prediction Center has 82 hail reports within 10 miles of Wisconsin Rapids since 1968, made on 55 separate days. Of these, 50 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 June 29, 2025. May has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wisconsin Rapids
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wisconsin Rapids, WI, 1 mile northeast of Wisconsin Rapids at 1,033 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 5°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 33.4 inches over 66 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 166 nights a year. That 33.4 inches is more than at 49 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (30%). Nekoosa, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI): 31.4 inches a year, 2.0 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 5 | 1.2 | 4 |
| Feb | 29 | 8 | 1.1 | 3 |
| Mar | 41 | 19 | 1.8 | 5 |
| Apr | 56 | 31 | 3.3 | 7 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 3.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 78 | 54 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Jul | 81 | 59 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Sep | 71 | 47 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 58 | 36 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 42 | 23 | 1.8 | 4 |
| Dec | 30 | 12 | 1.5 | 4 |
| Year | 55 | 33 | 33.4 | 66 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Rapids, WI (1,033 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 Wisconsin Rapids
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 68 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wisconsin Rapids: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods, 3 heavy rain events, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $3.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 19, 1996.
March 14, 2019: flood 9 miles from the centre of Wisconsin Rapids — 1 injured, $750,000 damage.
September 23, 2010: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Wisconsin Rapids — $1.5 million damage.
September 23, 2010: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Wisconsin Rapids — $700,000 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 Wisconsin Rapids's 2 ZIP codes have filed 23 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $590,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2010, with 11. Of the 128 Wisconsin cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 60 have fewer than Wisconsin Rapids.
Wood County, which includes Wisconsin Rapids, 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 Wisconsin Rapids
- Nekoosa, WI9 mi
- Plover, WI14 mi
- Arpin, WI16 mi
- Junction City, WI17 mi
- Stevens Point, WI17 mi
- Plainfield, WI18 mi
- Hancock, WI21 mi
- Pittsville, WI21 mi
- Auburndale, WI22 mi
- Arkdale, WI22 mi
- Almond, WI23 mi
- Custer, WI24 mi
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