Dunn County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Dunn County: 21.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 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).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. May 19, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$2.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Some snowfall amounts included 11 inches at Chippewa Falls, 10 inches at Ladysmith, 9 inches at Menomonie and Durand, 8 inches at Rice Lake and Stanley, 7.4 inches at Eau Claire and 7 inches at River Falls and Amery. The snow was mixed with freezing rain and sleet at times.

2. May 15, 1998Tornado$1.9 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Chemical fertilizer plant northwest of Elk Mound sustained most of the severe damage. One house and a mobile home near Elk Mound were also destroyed. 7 other homes damaged. One man injured by flying glass.

3. Jun 27, 2014Tornado$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A storm survey indicated that most of the damage was rated EF-0 with winds up to 85 mph. However, the tornado did briefly strengthen to EF-1 on the northeast side of Colfax, at the local high school where a shed was destroyed and two HVAC units where blown off the roof. This is where the winds may have reached 90 mph. The tornado was often less than 25 yards wide but it did widen to a maximum of 100 yards at the local high school athletic field.

4. Jun 11, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees down with some roof damage. Sheds and barns down.

5. May 30, 1998Tornado$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Two people severely injured during house collapse. Two homes destroyed. Several barns and sheds were also demolished. 6 people suffered minor injuries. One mobile home destroyed.

6. May 30, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Trailer home destroyed. Damage estimate for entire county.

7. Aug 14, 2009Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A team of NWS employees and local law enforcement officials surveyed a large area of road damage caused by flash flooding. The survey revealed that county roads along the Missouri and Little Missouri Creek northwest of Eau Galle, Wisconsin, had signs of flood damage and mud slides. Several roads were washed out near Eau Galle, Wisconsin. Also, local law enforcement officials reported a mudslide east of Downsville, Wisconsin along County Road C.

8. Sep 24, 2019Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A NWS Storm Survey determined a tornado began on the south side of Elk Mound, near the intersection of I-94, and South Holly Road. The tornado moved northeast, crossing I-94, and continued into Chippewa County as it crossed 10th Street, south of 560th Avenue. Most of the damage was EF0 in Dunn County where a barn lost its roof, and trees were uprooted or blown down. The path length in Dunn County was 2.3 miles long, with a maximum width of 250 yards.

9. Jun 25, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees down, some on homes, outbuildings and sheds.

10. Jun 15, 1997Tornado$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Three silos, machine shed, barn and several trees damaged or destroyed. Pieces of shed found 1 mile away. Numerous trees and power lines down.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

101°F2 times, most recently Aug 3, 1964

All-time low

−40°FFeb 3, 1996

Warmest night

81°FJun 28, 1971

Coldest day

−15°FJan 29, 1966

Wettest day

5.14 inJun 29, 2020

Snowiest day

13.5 inDec 10, 2012

Hottest year

1998mean 49.8°F

Coldest year

1996mean 40.2°F

Wettest year

201445.94 in

Driest year

197619.30 in

Snowiest season

94.5 in2018-19

Station Menomonie (USC00475335), 785 ft elevation, 3.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1957 to October 18, 2026; 98.6% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

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).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00475335.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.