Wisconsin, 2002

Flash Flood and Lightning Strike in Wisconsin, June 23 to 24, 2002

June 23 to 24, 2002 · NWS GRB · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Thunderstorms developed along the same east to west stationary front resulting in flash flooding over central and southern Marinette county during the night. There were reports of some minor road washouts and basement flooding.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
$250,000
Crop damage
$200,000
Events
2

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.

Thunderstorms developed along the same east to west stationary front resulting in flash flooding over central and southern Marinette county during the night. There were reports of some minor road washouts and basement flooding. 4.81 inches of rain fell in Porterfield and 4.35 inches of rain was reported in Crivitz, all in about 5 hours.Lightning from the storms struck a tree at a scout camp on Crystal Lake (Oneida co.) and traveled through the ground, injuring two 13 year old boys in their tent. One of the boys suffered serious burns and blurred vision. The other boy suffered less severe burns.

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 23, 9:00 PM CST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 23, 9:00 PM CST, 1 hour before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
1000 PM CDT SUN JUN 23 2002

ISSUED FLOOD WATCH FOR MOST OF NORTHCENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN FOR
TONIGHT. LOW LEVEL JET AND UPPER DIFFLUENT FLOW COINCIDE OVER NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN NEAR HAYWARD AND THIS CONTRIBUTING TO TRAINING ECHOES.

.GRB...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR VILAS...LINCOLN...ONEIDA...FLORENCE...
FOREST...MARINETTE...DOOR...OCONTO...MENOMINEE...LANGLADE COUNTIES.

RDM
WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/GRB

The radar

The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 174 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Lightning, Oneida

When
June 23, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Oneida County, 10 mi N of Rhinelander
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
45.706, -89.522 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Marinette

When
June 23, 10:30 PM CST to June 24, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Marinette County, South Portion
Property damage
$250,000
Crop damage
$200,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
45.351, -88.002 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.

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: 5306367, 5306366.