Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Wisconsin, September 16, 1997

Name: Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Wisconsin, September 16, 1997
Start: 1997-09-16T17:30
End: 1997-09-16T21:30
Location: Wisconsin

September 16, 1997 · NWS GRB · 8 events in 6 counties and zones

Evening thunderstorms produced strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning across central and northeast Wisconsin. ) in only two hours, resulting in basement flooding.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 0
Property damage: $57,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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 GRB wrote it up.

Evening thunderstorms produced strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning across central and northeast Wisconsin. Three inches of rain fell near Wausau (Marathon co.) and Marshfield (Wood co.) in only two hours, resulting in basement flooding. Thunderstorm winds ripped shingles off a house and knocked down several trees in Knowlton (Marathon co.). The storm moved east and blew trees and a power pole down in Shawano county. Yet another storm in the town of Marion (Waushara co.) produced strong winds which toppled a tree onto a corn crib, crushing it, and leaving a mass of trunk, limbs and foliage.Lightning also produced damage during the evening. A barn was set ablaze by lightning in the town of Neva (Langlade co.). Near Green Bay (Brown co.), a tractor, which had been left idling in low gear, was struck by lightning, which caused it to start moving on its own. The tractor meandered through a corn field before it "burned to a crisp."

The radar

The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 138 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Marathon

When: September 16, 5:30 PM CST to 7:30 PM CST
Where: Marathon County, Wausau
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 44.898, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Wood

When: September 16, 5:30 PM CST to 7:30 PM CST
Where: Wood County, Marshfield
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 44.455, -90.042 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Marathon

When: September 16, 6:40 PM CST
Where: Marathon County, Knowlton
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 44.720, -89.680

Lightning, Langlade

When: September 16, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Langlade County, 6 mi N of Antigo
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 45.262, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Waushara

When: September 16, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Waushara County, 5 mi SE of Wautoma
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 44.020, -89.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Shawano

When: September 16, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Shawano County, 2 mi N of Morgan
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 44.920, -88.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Shawano

When: September 16, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Shawano County, Shawano
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 44.770, -88.600

Lightning, Brown

When: September 16, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Brown County, Green Bay
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 44.474, -87.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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.
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, September 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: 5618063, 5618064, 5618066, 5618062, 5618068, 5618067, 5618065, 5618061.