Tornado and Flood in Wisconsin, July 18, 1997

Name: Tornado and Flood in Wisconsin, July 18, 1997
Start: 1997-07-18T13:00
End: 1997-07-18T14:50
Location: Wisconsin

July 18, 1997 · NWS MKX · 13 events in 5 counties and zones

5 thunderstorm wind, 4 funnel cloud, 2 lightning, 1 flood, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 9
Property damage: $1.1 million
Crop damage: $100
Events: 13

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind, 4 funnel cloud, 2 lightning, 1 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Dane

When: July 18, 1:00 PM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Dane County, Oregon
Coordinates: 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Walworth

When: July 18, 1:11 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, 3 mi NE of Delavan
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a car on I-43, disabling vehicle completely.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dane

When: July 18, 1:15 PM CST
Where: Dane County, Stoughton
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.920, -89.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When: July 18, 1:20 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, Delavan
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.630, -88.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Kenosha

When: July 18, 1:30 PM CST
Where: Kenosha County, Twin Lakes
Injuries: 9 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.0 million
Coordinates: 42.530, -88.250

Nine thousand people were evacuated moments before wet-micorburst winds estimated to 80 mph blew down a stage at the Country Thunder Music Festival. The stage was lifted up and twisted by the winds. Fying debis damaged parked vehicles, and many chairs were scrambled. Interestingly, the stage was anchored with steel cable. However, the local terrain aided in funneling the powerful winds toward the stage. A boat in a nearby yard was lifted up by the same winds and the cover torn off. 9 people were injured, 3 needed to go to the hospital.

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When: July 18, 1:40 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, Pell Lake
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.530, -88.370

Funnel Cloud, Kenosha

When: July 18, 1:43 PM CST
Where: Kenosha County, Wilmot
Coordinates: 42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, Walworth

When: July 18, 1:47 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, 2 mi NW of Sharon
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Crop damage: $100
Coordinates: 42.520, -88.770

A brief tornado touchdown between Highway B and County Line road caused minor damage to a corn field , destroying a 20 by 40 foot swath of produce.

Funnel Cloud, Walworth

When: July 18, 2:11 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, 3 mi SW of Lake Geneva
Coordinates: 42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Racine

When: July 18, 2:15 PM CST
Where: Racine County, Waterford
Property damage: $400
Coordinates: 42.770, -88.220

Funnel Cloud, Racine

When: July 18, 2:22 PM CST
Where: Racine County, Waterford
Coordinates: 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Jefferson

When: July 18, 2:30 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Waterloo
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a home causing significant damage to the second story.

Funnel Cloud, Kenosha

When: July 18, 2:50 PM CST
Where: Kenosha County, Twin Lakes
Coordinates: 42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Wisconsin, 1997 Warnings in Wisconsin, July 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5612280, 5612355, 5612279, 5612356, 5612351, 5612354, 5612352, 5612281, 5612282, 5612283, 5612284, 5612357, 5612353.