Rusk County

Every recorded tornado

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

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. Sep 2, 2002Tornado$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The first tornadic supercell to rake Wisconsin this day started just west of Ladysmith and tore through the downtown before moving into rural parts of eastern Rusk County. Injury totals fluctuated at first, but Rusk County Emergency Management stated there were approximately 27 injuries, none more serious than a broken leg. The NWS performed a damage survey the next day, and the most severe damage, rated F3, was in downtown Ladysmith. In this area 4 blocks wide and 16 blocks long, 40 buildings were destroyed and 159 damaged. One church was blown off its foundation, although during the damage survey, it was apparent that it had been barely attached to the foundation. A pickup truck…

2. Jun 11, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Measured at the DNR Forestry Station. Scattered damage to houses and outbuildings. Numerous trees and power lines down. Memorial Park in Ladysmith lost about 100 trees. One home lost part of its roof. Damage figure is the total from all storms in Rusk County from 1770 to 1815.

3. Jul 4, 2019Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A NWS Storm Survey indicated that an EF0 tornado touched down on the west side of Fireside Lake, on Mud Lake Road. This tornado tracked approximately 7.6 miles northeast, before lifting on the east side of the Flambeau River, west of Sheep Camp Road. The tornado was on the ground for 14 minutes with a path width of 100 yards, and a maximum wind speed of 85 mph. Numerous trees were blown down or uprooted along the path. A few trees blew down on lake cabins causing considerable damage. No injuries occurred with this event.

4. May 16, 2017Tornado$420,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The long-track tornado continued from Barron County into Rusk County and produced EF3 damage in the Conrath area. It entered Rusk County with an east-northeast track, but shortly thereafter began a gradual turn to the east and barely missed the village of Weyerhaeuser. Soon after passing Weyerhaeuser, it even turned a little toward the east-southeast (this happened at about 45.4063, -91.3583). The tornado then barely missed the village of Conrath. North of Conrath, however, the tornado leveled a house, and this is where the EF3 damage took place. Elsewhere, the tornado destroyed numerous sheds, outbuildings and garages and thousands of trees across the county. The tornado…

5. May 15, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$230,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Roof ripped off apartment building and restaurant. Flying debris from apartment building damaged nearby motel. 3,000 pound pontoon boat on Lake Flambeau blown a distance of 125 feet and destroyed. Many trees blown over. Numerous garages and sheds destroyed.

6. Jul 15, 2019Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A NWS Storm Survey indicated wind damage occurred north of Bruce, and tracked eastward for several miles. The wind downed numerous trees, damaged a barn and outbuilding northwest of Ladysmith. Winds were estimated up to 75 mph as most of the barn roof was damaged or lifted off.

7. Aug 2, 2011Flash Flood$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Two county roads were washed out in far eastern Rusk County due to excessive rainfall of two to four inches in less than 2 hours.

8. Jul 28, 2021Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   There were approximately 20-30 trees that were blown down on the roadways with most being poplar or dead hardwoods. There were also some houses that were damaged from downed trees in Bruce.

9. Jun 24, 2021Tornado$20,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado moved toward the north-northwest and struck a farm toward the end of its path. The roof of a shed was lifted up and pushed, some concrete blocks were knocked over. Siding of a house was ripped off. A few trees were downed. The starting point was based on video. Three videos were available. The damage survey of the farm was provided by a storm chaser.

10. Jul 27, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Several trees were blown down between Ladysmith and Glen Flora, Wisconsin. Some trees fell on power lines.

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

100°F2 times, most recently Aug 1, 1988

All-time low

−45°F2 times, most recently Feb 2, 1996

Warmest night

83°FJul 5, 1982

Coldest day

−20°F2 times, most recently Jan 19, 1994

Wettest day

5.85 inJul 9, 1959

Snowiest day

14.0 inJan 24, 1934

Hottest year

2024mean 47.4°F

Coldest year

2019mean 39.4°F

Wettest year

193850.46 in

Driest year

197617.63 in

Snowiest season

80.5 in2017-18

Station Holcombe (USC00473698), 1,057 ft elevation, 15.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1942 to October 22, 2026; 86.8% 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 USC00473698.
• 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.