Wisconsin, 2002

Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Wisconsin, June 21 to 22, 2002

June 21 to 22, 2002 · NWS GRB · 9 events in 5 counties and zones

An east to west stationary front across central Wisconsin was the focus for the development of thunderstorms. Heavy rain occurred across that part of the state during the night of June 21-22 as thunderstorms trained over the area for several hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
$4.3 million
Crop damage
$35 million
Events
9

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.

An east to west stationary front across central Wisconsin was the focus for the development of thunderstorms. Heavy rain occurred across that part of the state during the night of June 21-22 as thunderstorms trained over the area for several hours. Over 5 inches of rain fell during a 3 hour period across the affected areas. An unofficial gage near Biron (Wood co.) recorded 10.30 inches in 12 hours.A trailer park in Stratford (Marathon co.) had to be evacuated due to high water, and basements were flooded in some homes in central Wisconsin. Several bridges were out due to the flooding and roads were washed out in numerous locations. One township in Marathon county had 40 miles of roads that needed to be resurfaced. Waushara county suffered extensive damage to corn, potato, bean, carrot and pea crops.Lightning started a fire that caused minor damage to a factory in Two Rivers (Manitowoc co.).

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 21, 10:30 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 10:30 PM CST, 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
1130 PM CDT FRI JUN 21 2002

UPDATED FORECASTS TO REDUCE CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE FAR NORTH TONIGHT.
MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX FORMING IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN WILL LIKELY
KEEP VERY MUCH RAIN FROM REACHING THE NORTH TONIGHT.

.GRB...NONE.

RDM
WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/GRB

The radar

The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Waushara

When
June 21, 11:00 PM CST to June 22, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Waushara County, Countywide
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.113, -89.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Manitowoc

When
June 21, 11:45 PM CST
Where
Manitowoc County, Two Rivers
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.091, -87.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Wood

When
June 22, 12:15 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where
Wood County, Countywide
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
44.455, -90.042 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Portage

When
June 22, 3:30 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where
Portage County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.476, -89.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Marathon

When
June 22, 3:30 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where
Marathon County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.898, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Waushara

When
June 22, 5:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Waushara County, Countywide
Property damage
$975,000
Crop damage
$35 million
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
44.113, -89.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Wood

When
June 22, 6:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Wood County, Countywide
Property damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.455, -90.042 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Portage

When
June 22, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Portage County, Countywide
Property damage
$700,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.476, -89.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Marathon

When
June 22, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Marathon County, Countywide
Property damage
$1.6 million
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
44.898, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
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

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, June 2002

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: 5306368, 5306376, 5306370, 5306372, 5306374, 5306369, 5306371, 5306373, 5306375.