SkyGround

Natural hazard risk & disaster history for every US county

All counties › Hazards › Tornado

Wisconsin tornado risk

72 counties scored 1 rated Very High

Milwaukee County has the highest tornado risk in Wisconsin, scoring 99 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded tornado events across Wisconsin have increased 50% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Milwaukee County 99 Very High 1
2 Dane County 97.6 Relatively High 12
3 Waukesha County 95.7 Relatively High 8
4 Rock County 94.3 Relatively High 11
5 Brown County 93.4 Relatively High 3
6 Racine County 93.1 Relatively High 1
7 Kenosha County 92.7 Relatively High 2
8 Winnebago County 91.3 Relatively High 4
9 Fond du Lac County 88.5 Relatively Moderate 13
10 Walworth County 88.2 Relatively Moderate 14
11 Outagamie County 86.8 Relatively Moderate 13
12 Jefferson County 86.1 Relatively Moderate 17
13 Dodge County 85.3 Relatively Moderate 10
14 St. Croix County 84.8 Relatively Moderate 3
15 La Crosse County 84.6 Relatively Moderate 4
16 Sheboygan County 84.4 Relatively Moderate 2
17 Washington County 84.1 Relatively Moderate 1
18 Marathon County 83.8 Relatively Moderate 12
19 Eau Claire County 80.6 Relatively Moderate 7
20 Wood County 79 Relatively Moderate 0
21 Sauk County 78.3 Relatively Moderate 1
22 Manitowoc County 77.3 Relatively Moderate 2
23 Waupaca County 76.8 Relatively Moderate 7
24 Polk County 76.5 Relatively Moderate 7
25 Grant County 76.4 Relatively Moderate 7
26 Monroe County 76.3 Relatively Moderate 6
27 Columbia County 75.7 Relatively Moderate 4
28 Green Lake County 75.1 Relatively Moderate 2
29 Barron County 75 Relatively Moderate 5
30 Adams County 73.4 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Pierce County 73.4 Relatively Moderate 7
32 Clark County 71.7 Relatively Moderate 21
33 Chippewa County 70.9 Relatively Moderate 7
34 Portage County 70.2 Relatively Moderate 2
35 Vernon County 69.4 Relatively Moderate 5
36 Dunn County 68.3 Relatively Moderate 4
37 Shawano County 65.9 Relatively Moderate 13
38 Green County 65.6 Relatively Moderate 8
39 Juneau County 65.3 Relatively Moderate 3
40 Oconto County 60.3 Relatively Low 3
41 Waushara County 60.2 Relatively Low 6
42 Trempealeau County 59.8 Relatively Low 8
43 Ozaukee County 59.3 Relatively Low 0
44 Crawford County 58.4 Relatively Low 1
45 Calumet County 58.2 Relatively Low 2
46 Marquette County 52.9 Relatively Low 4
47 Jackson County 51.6 Relatively Low 4
48 Richland County 51 Relatively Low 0
49 Iowa County 49.3 Relatively Low 6
50 Marinette County 49 Relatively Low 4
51 Taylor County 48.6 Relatively Low 2
52 Door County 47.6 Relatively Low 2
53 Burnett County 46.7 Relatively Low 2
54 Oneida County 46.7 Relatively Low 2
55 Langlade County 45.6 Relatively Low 0
56 Lafayette County 44.6 Relatively Low 6
57 Lincoln County 44 Relatively Low 2
58 Kewaunee County 39.7 Relatively Low 1
59 Buffalo County 36.4 Relatively Low 6
60 Washburn County 35.5 Relatively Low 0
61 Rusk County 34.4 Relatively Low 3
62 Price County 34.3 Relatively Low 2
63 Pepin County 30.9 Relatively Low 2
64 Sawyer County 30.2 Relatively Low 0
65 Vilas County 29.1 Relatively Low 2
66 Douglas County 27.4 Relatively Low 2
67 Forest County 22 Very Low 1
68 Menominee County 21.5 Very Low 3
69 Bayfield County 16 Very Low 0
70 Ashland County 13.8 Very Low 1
71 Iron County 12.2 Very Low 2
72 Florence County 11 Very Low 2

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.

Tornado risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in Wisconsin:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest tornado risk county in Wisconsin?

Milwaukee County, WI has the highest tornado risk in Wisconsin, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

How many counties in Wisconsin are rated Very High for tornado risk?

1 of 72 scored Wisconsin counties are rated "Very High" for tornado risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.

What causes tornado risk in Wisconsin?

Tornado risk concentrates in the central and southern plains ("Tornado Alley") and the Southeast ("Dixie Alley"), where atmospheric conditions favor supercell thunderstorm development. The highest scores often belong to counties with significant mobile home and manufactured housing stock, which carries disproportionate tornado mortality risk.