Racine County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Racine County: 0.
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.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 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.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 12, 2017Flood$23.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Fox River crested in Burlington at a record level of 16.15 feet on July 13th after 4-8 inches of rain in the Fox River Basin. The city of Burlington is divided in half at this river stage from east to west. Bridges and streets in downtown Burlington are blocked off and closed, including Bridge Street. Floodwaters affect homes on the following streets north of E. Jefferson St. in Burlington: North Spring St., North Main St., East Washington St., North Wisconsin St., and Capital Street. Riverside Park and Veterans Park is flooded. Floodwaters affect a portion of Brever Road 4 miles south of Burlington. Floodwaters also approach highway 83. Various road closures over the…

2. Nov 22, 2010Tornado$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado is a continuation of a segment that started in Kenosha County. It quickly intensified to an EF-1 rating after moving into Racine County. It moved into southern Racine County about 2.3 miles southwest of Union Grove, around 1,700 feet to the east of the intersection of County Line Road and 224th Avenue. The tornado moved northeast before dissipating near the intersection of County Highway K and County Highway H, about 1/2 mile southeast of Franksville. There were no fatalities, but 2 people were injured in storm-related vehicle accidents. Newspaper articles indicated they were hospitalized. Union Grove bore the brunt of the damage. Eleven buildings, fencing, and trees…

3. Jan 11, 2020Lakeshore Flood, Racine$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Lakeshore erosion at Carre Hogel Park (200' shoreline), Pershing Drive (900' shoreline), North of Zoo Beach (260' embankment/bluff and shoreline erosion), and Shoop Park (50' erosion).

4. Jun 8, 2008Flash Flood$2.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding across much of Racine County, especially in the city of Racine. Water depths on road surfaces reached 3 feet or more and there were gravel washouts. Some farm fields remained flooded into early July. The breakdown for residential home losses were: 10 minimally affected, 30 with minor damage, and 15 with major damage (total of $400 thousand for home losses). There were no business losses. Crop losses were estimated at $1.5 million. Public sector damage was about $1.748 million. There were several roads and bridges that sustained damage.

5. Jul 2, 2000Flash Flood$1.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Severe weather in the form of a tornado, damaging straight-line downburst winds, large hail, and flash flooding hammered a small piece of south-central and much of southeast Wisconsin during the late afternoon and evening hours. The most significant cluster of thunderstorms developed over southern Columbia county and proceded to move east/southeast through Dodge, Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee, and Racine counties. A supercell on the west end of this cluster, with a well-defined mesocyclone, produced some damaging straight-line winds and large hail up to 2.25 inches in diameter in Jefferson County, but could only generate a rotating wall cloud at its base in that county. This…

6. Oct 26, 2010Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF1 tornado that developed in far northern Kenosha County, northeast of Somers, entered Racine County near the intersection of County Highway KR (County Line Road) and 90th Street. After a path length of about 0.43 mile in Kenosha County, it crossed into Racine County where CTH EA (72nd Ave) intersects County Line Rd. The tornado moved northeast and dissipating in the northeast section of Graceland Cemetery on the west side of the City of Racine, about 500 feet west of Osborne Boulevard. In Racine County, the tornado blew a weakly anchored barn (built in the 1920s) off its foundation and damaged an industrial building south of STH 11. Later on, it tore off a 100'x200' roof…

7. Aug 21, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The severer weather and flooding that affected much of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on August 21, 2002, into the pre-dawn hours of the 22nd, was probably the most widespread and significant outbreak for the 2002 warm-season. Just about every type of weather phenomena was observed: a tornado; a funnel cloud; powerful, hurricane-force, downburst winds that uprooted trees and damaged buildings; torrential rains reducing visibilities to 100 feet; urban and small stream flooding; numerous lightning strikes - some that resulted in fire damage; and the early stages of a ground-based vortex that never made it to tornado status. Clusters and short lines of thunderstorms ahead of a…

8. Jun 1, 2004Flood, Racine$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Scattered to widespread heavy rains across south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the period of June 9-12, 2004 kept many rivers and streams at or above flood stage for a good part, or most of the month. Monthly rainfall totals generally ranged from 4 to 7 inches across south-central and southeast Wisconsin, with some scattered spots in Sauk, Columbia, Dodge, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha Counties picking up 7 to 9.5 inches, or 50 to 100% above normal. In some cases, stretches of some rivers actually went above flood stage in May, 2004. Refer to flood and flash flood events in May, 2004, for additional information. During June, 2004, the high water levels kept much of the…

9. Jul 6, 2003Lightning$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Two rounds of scattered severe convection affected south-central and southeast Wisconsin on Sunday, July 6, 2003. The first round occurred during the morning hours and the second during the late afternoon hours. Powerful, downburst, damaging, straight-line winds toppled large trees and/or power-lines, 4 weak tornadoes spun up, a separate funnel cloud was reported, and there were a couple occurrences of large hail. Detailed descriptions of the four tornadoes can be found in separate reports.Probably the hardest-hit area extended from Middleton (Dane Co.) to Maple Bluff. In the Maple Bluff area, 8 homes sustained minor wind damage, and a car and two boats were damaged by toppled…

10. Jun 18, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$600,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A powerful macroburst moved northeast through the eastern half of Racine county and tore up hundreds of trees, blew over several semi-tractor trailers on Interstate-94 between STH 11 and 20, leveled a barn, detroyed another pole shed, riped the roof off a home, and toppled about 30 power-poles and 59 spans of wire. Additionally, there was wind damage to the Ives Grove Golf Course, the County Board chambers, a Sheriff's Department storage building, and a Public Works Department garage. About a half-dozen campers were overturned by the powerful winds. Several homes sustained tree debris damage. At least six other cars were significantly damaged by flying debris or fallen trees.…

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

103°F3 times, most recently Jul 5, 2012

All-time low

−26°F2 times, most recently Feb 3, 1996

Warmest night

84°FJul 14, 1995

Coldest day

−13°FJan 15, 1972

Wettest day

6.81 inAug 6, 1986

Snowiest day

16.7 inFeb 10, 1960

Hottest year

2024mean 52.8°F

Coldest year

1972mean 43.6°F

Wettest year

201946.01 in

Driest year

196319.10 in

Snowiest season

99.1 in2007-08

Station Milwaukee Mitchell Airport (USW00014839), 667 ft elevation, 15.2 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1938 to October 26, 2026; 100.0% 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 USW00014839.
• 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.