Flood and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, June 24, 1997

Name: Flood and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, June 24, 1997
Start: 1997-06-24T14:58
End: 1997-06-24T22:30
Location: Wisconsin

June 24, 1997 · NWS MKX · 30 events in 15 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 5
Property damage: $654,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 30

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms exploded over southern Wisconsin during the afternoon and caused widespread tree and power line damage with scattered damage or destruction to residential roofs, a dozen automobiles, and road signs. Many roads were blocked by toppled trees. Early on in Lake Delton (Sauk Co) a small construction trailer was tipped over and a boat was blown off a trailer and damaged. An injury occurred when a motorcyclist was blown off the road near Watertown(Dodge Co). The Juneau AWOS (Dodge Co) reported an 85 mph wind gusts around the time when a hanger was destroyed and trailer overturned at the Dodge County Airport. An airplane was also totaled. Major damage occurred in Fond du Lac County when a barn was blown down near Eden and a house moved a full foot off it's foundation in Ashford. About 21,000 customers suffered power outages due to downed trees & power lines. In Fillmore (Washington Co) a fallen tree limb injured a man. East of Burlington (Racine Co) a man was seriously injured after he was struck by a toppled tree. Powerful winds blew down a tent in Franklin (Milwaukee Co.), slightly injuring 2 people. Lightning struck and injured a woman running a charity race at the local high school near Sussex (Waukesha Co). Later that night, lightning struck a house just southwest of Waukesha (Waukesha Co) starting a fire that resulted in a total loss of property. Heavy rains of 1 to 2 inches in a short period of time in Middleton (Dane Co) resulted in water depths of 4 to 6 inches on urban roads.

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

28 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sauk

When: June 24, 2:58 PM CST
Where: Sauk County, Lake Delton
Property damage: $8,000
Coordinates: 43.580, -89.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Marquette

When: June 24, 3:02 PM CST
Where: Marquette County, Oxford
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 43.780, -89.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Green

When: June 24, 3:35 PM CST
Where: Green County, Jordan
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 42.650, -89.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Dane

When: June 24, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Dane County, Madison
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 43.070, -89.420

Flood, Dane

When: June 24, 3:40 PM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where: Dane County, Middleton
Coordinates: 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Green

When: June 24, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Green County, Monticello
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 42.730, -89.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Dane

When: June 24, 3:59 PM CST to 4:05 PM CST
Where: Dane County, Madison to Monona
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 43.070, -89.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge

When: June 24, 4:05 PM CST
Where: Dodge County, Richwood
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 43.230, -88.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock

When: June 24, 4:10 PM CST
Where: Rock County, Edgerton
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.830, -89.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock

When: June 24, 4:10 PM CST
Where: Rock County, Beloit
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.520, -89.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: June 24, 4:13 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Watertown
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph)
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 43.200, -88.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: June 24, 4:15 PM CST to 4:55 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Lake Mills to 2 mi of Ft Atkinson
Property damage: $15,000
Coordinates: 43.050, -88.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge

When: June 24, 4:25 PM CST
Where: Dodge County, Watertown
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 43.200, -88.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge

When: June 24, 4:29 PM CST to 4:45 PM CST
Where: Dodge County, Iron Ridge to Theresa
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 43.400, -88.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: June 24, 4:36 PM CST to 4:55 PM CST
Where: Washington County, Thompson to Hartford
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 43.250, -88.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge

When: June 24, 4:40 PM CST
Where: Dodge County, Juneau
Measured: 74 kt (85 mph)
Property damage: $150,000
Coordinates: 43.400, -88.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: June 24, 4:45 PM CST to 5:05 PM CST
Where: Washington County, Kewaskum to 6 mi of Fillmore
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $4,000
Coordinates: 43.520, -88.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Fond du Lac

When: June 24, 4:55 PM CST to 5:05 PM CST
Where: Fond du Lac County, Eden to 2 mi of Ashford
Property damage: $75,000
Coordinates: 43.700, -88.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When: June 24, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, Darien
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.600, -88.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Sheboygan

When: June 24, 4:59 PM CST
Where: Sheboygan County, Plymouth to Elkhart Lake
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 43.750, -87.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Waukesha

When: June 24, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Waukesha County, Mukwonago
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.870, -88.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Ozaukee

When: June 24, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Ozaukee County, Fredonia to 1 mi of Belgium
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 43.480, -87.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When: June 24, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, Lake Geneva to 6 mi NW of Genoa City
Property damage: $4,000
Coordinates: 42.680, -88.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Racine

When: June 24, 5:15 PM CST to 5:25 PM CST
Where: Racine County, Burlington to 2 mi of Union Church
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 42.670, -88.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Sheboygan

When: June 24, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Sheboygan County, Sheboygan
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 43.750, -87.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Milwaukee

When: June 24, 5:22 PM CST
Where: Milwaukee County, West Allis to Franklin
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 43.000, -87.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Waukesha

When: June 24, 5:35 PM CST
Where: Waukesha County, Waukesha
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 43.020, -88.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When: June 24, 5:35 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, Delavan
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 42.630, -88.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Milwaukee

When: June 24, 5:38 PM CST
Where: Milwaukee County, Milwaukee
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 43.030, -87.970

Lightning, Waukesha

When: June 24, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Waukesha County, 3 mi SW of Waukesha
Property damage: $150,000
Coordinates: 43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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.
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.

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 Warnings in Wisconsin, June 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: 5602442, 5602443, 5602444, 5602445, 5602447, 5602571, 5602572, 5602577, 5602446, 5602573, 5602581, 5602559, 5602448, 5602575, 5602576, 5602560, 5602563, 5602561, 5602562, 5602565, 5602564, 5602566, 5602569, 5602570, 5602578, 5602567, 5602568, 5602574, 5602579, 5602580.