Tornado Risk in Wisconsin
All Wisconsin counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index tornado score
Tornado risk — violently rotating columns of air capable of catastrophic local damage — is rated for 72 of 72 Wisconsin counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Milwaukee County carries the state's highest tornado score at 99.0, with $32M in expected annual tornado losses.
8 Wisconsin counties are rated High or Very High for tornado, and expected annual losses from tornado total roughly $308M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Tornado
| # | County | Tornado Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee County | Very High | 0.40 / yr | $32M | |
| 2 | Dane County | High | 0.93 / yr | $26M | |
| 3 | Waukesha County | High | 0.37 / yr | $24M | |
| 4 | Rock County | High | 0.58 / yr | $13M | |
| 5 | Brown County | High | 0.22 / yr | $12M | |
| 6 | Racine County | High | 0.31 / yr | $11M | |
| 7 | Kenosha County | High | 0.32 / yr | $10M | |
| 8 | Winnebago County | High | 0.34 / yr | $9M | |
| 9 | Fond du Lac County | Medium | 0.51 / yr | $8M | |
| 10 | Walworth County | Medium | 0.40 / yr | $7M | |
| 11 | Outagamie County | Medium | 0.31 / yr | $8M | |
| 12 | Jefferson County | Medium | 0.43 / yr | $7M | |
| 13 | Dodge County | Medium | 0.65 / yr | $6M | |
| 14 | St. Croix County | Medium | 0.43 / yr | $8M | |
| 15 | La Crosse County | Medium | 0.20 / yr | $6M | |
| 16 | Sheboygan County | Medium | 0.46 / yr | $6M | |
| 17 | Washington County | Medium | 0.28 / yr | $9M | |
| 18 | Marathon County | Medium | 0.60 / yr | $6M | |
| 19 | Eau Claire County | Medium | 0.27 / yr | $5M | |
| 20 | Wood County | Medium | 0.36 / yr | $4M | |
| 21 | Sauk County | Medium | 0.54 / yr | $4M | |
| 22 | Manitowoc County | Medium | 0.43 / yr | $4M | |
| 23 | Waupaca County | Medium | 0.42 / yr | $3M | |
| 24 | Polk County | Medium | 0.44 / yr | $3M | |
| 25 | Grant County | Medium | 0.78 / yr | $3M | |
| 26 | Monroe County | Medium | 0.37 / yr | $3M | |
| 27 | Columbia County | Medium | 0.58 / yr | $4M | |
| 28 | Green Lake County | Medium | 0.28 / yr | $2M | |
| 29 | Barron County | Medium | 0.35 / yr | $3M | |
| 30 | Adams County | Medium | 0.41 / yr | $2M | |
| 31 | Pierce County | Medium | 0.39 / yr | $4M | |
| 32 | Clark County | Medium | 0.45 / yr | $2M | |
| 33 | Chippewa County | Medium | 0.39 / yr | $3M | |
| 34 | Portage County | Medium | 0.42 / yr | $4M | |
| 35 | Vernon County | Medium | 0.38 / yr | $2M | |
| 36 | Dunn County | Medium | 0.45 / yr | $3M | |
| 37 | Shawano County | Medium | 0.39 / yr | $3M | |
| 38 | Green County | Medium | 0.46 / yr | $3M | |
| 39 | Juneau County | Medium | 0.39 / yr | $2M | |
| 40 | Oconto County | Low | 0.31 / yr | $2M | |
| 41 | Waushara County | Low | 0.38 / yr | $2M | |
| 42 | Trempealeau County | Low | 0.30 / yr | $2M | |
| 43 | Ozaukee County | Low | 0.37 / yr | $3M | |
| 44 | Crawford County | Low | 0.32 / yr | $2M | |
| 45 | Calumet County | Low | 0.21 / yr | $3M | |
| 46 | Marquette County | Low | 0.31 / yr | $1M | |
| 47 | Jackson County | Low | 0.39 / yr | $1M | |
| 48 | Richland County | Low | 0.32 / yr | $1M | |
| 49 | Iowa County | Low | 0.50 / yr | $2M | |
| 50 | Marinette County | Low | 0.27 / yr | $1M | |
| 51 | Taylor County | Low | 0.32 / yr | $1M | |
| 52 | Door County | Low | 0.27 / yr | $1M | |
| 53 | Oneida County | Low | 0.28 / yr | $1M | |
| 54 | Burnett County | Low | 0.29 / yr | $814K | |
| 55 | Langlade County | Low | 0.27 / yr | $1M | |
| 56 | Lafayette County | Low | 0.49 / yr | $1M | |
| 57 | Lincoln County | Low | 0.27 / yr | $1M | |
| 58 | Kewaunee County | Low | 0.21 / yr | $1M | |
| 59 | Buffalo County | Low | 0.35 / yr | $869K | |
| 60 | Washburn County | Low | 0.23 / yr | $678K | |
| 61 | Rusk County | Low | 0.28 / yr | $589K | |
| 62 | Price County | Low | 0.32 / yr | $574K | |
| 63 | Pepin County | Low | 0.14 / yr | $566K | |
| 64 | Sawyer County | Low | 0.31 / yr | $367K | |
| 65 | Vilas County | Low | 0.16 / yr | $391K | |
| 66 | Douglas County | Low | 0.20 / yr | $471K | |
| 67 | Forest County | Very Low | 0.21 / yr | $220K | |
| 68 | Menominee County | Very Low | 0.13 / yr | $171K | |
| 69 | Bayfield County | Very Low | 0.18 / yr | $133K | |
| 70 | Ashland County | Very Low | 0.19 / yr | $101K | |
| 71 | Iron County | Very Low | 0.12 / yr | $71K | |
| 72 | Florence County | Very Low | 0.06 / yr | $77K |
72 Wisconsin counties with measurable tornado risk. See the national tornado ranking or all Wisconsin counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Wisconsin county has the highest tornado risk?
Milwaukee County has the highest FEMA tornado risk score in Wisconsin at 99.0 (Very High), with $32M in expected annual losses and about 0.40 events per year.
How many Wisconsin counties face significant tornado risk?
72 Wisconsin counties record measurable tornado risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 8 of them are rated High or Very High.