Tornadoes · United States · Wisconsin

Tornadoes in Barron County, Wisconsin

43 tornadoes have crossed Barron County since 1950, 9th of the 72 counties in Wisconsin with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.8 years. They have killed 1 person and injured 41. None was rated F4 or above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes: 43
Deaths: 1
Injuries: 41
F4 and above: 0
Worst on record: EF3, May 16, 2017

The deadliest in Barron County

EF3, Barron, Polk, Rusk and Price counties, WisconsinMay 16, 20171 killed, 25 injured

The strongest

Every year with a tornado

The 28 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Barron County. Each year links to every tornado in Wisconsin that year.

Year	Tornadoes	Deaths	Injuries	Strongest
2020	1			EF0
2019	2			EF1
2017	1	1	25	EF3
2016	1			EF0
2011	1			EF1
2010	3			EF1
2005	3			F1
2004	1			F0
1999	1			F0
1998	1			F0
1994	4			F2
1993	1			F1
1990	4			F2
1989	1			F0
1987	1			F0
1986	1			F2
1985	1			F1
1977	2			F3
1975	1			F1
1973	1			F1
1970	1			F1
1969	2		4	F1
1967	1		6	F2
1965	1			F2
1964	3		2	F2
1962	1			F1
1958	1			F2
1957	1		4	F2

Every tornado that crossed Barron County

43 tornadoes, newest first.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 21, 2020	5:50 PM CDT	EF0	Barron	1.5	20
July 28, 2019	6:41 PM CDT	EF0	Barron	0.4	25
July 19, 2019	5:28 PM CDT	EF1	Polk	13.9	600
May 16, 2017	4:42 PM CDT	EF3	Barron	82.5	1,320	1	25	$11 million
July 27, 2016	3:55 PM CDT	EF0	Barron	0.2	25			$50,000
May 22, 2011	4:00 PM CDT	EF1	Barron	2.0	300			$200,000
August 7, 2010	11:57 PM CDT	EF1	Barron	3.2	125			$250,000
July 27, 2010	7:59 PM CDT	EF1	Barron	4.5	75			$75,000
July 27, 2010	7:34 PM CDT	EF1	Polk	3.4	50			$220,000
June 11, 2005	3:00 PM CDT	F1	Barron	5.0	50
June 7, 2005	4:58 PM CDT	F0	Barron	2.0	25
June 7, 2005	4:44 PM CDT	F0	Barron	1.0	25
September 5, 2004	8:05 PM CDT	F0	Barron	0.3	25
June 30, 1999	4:45 PM CDT	F0	Barron	0.1	0
May 12, 1998	4:38 PM CDT	F0	Barron	6.0	50			$100,000
July 19, 1994	8:15 PM CDT	F1	Barron	8.0	100			$50,000 to $500,000
June 27, 1994	7:34 PM CDT	F0	Barron	0.2	50
April 26, 1994	1:10 PM CDT	F2	Barron	4.0	1,200			$50,000 to $500,000
April 26, 1994	1:03 PM CDT	F1	Dunn	4.0	1,200			$50,000 to $500,000
September 13, 1993	6:50 AM CDT	F1	Barron	0.3	50			$50,000 to $500,000
September 11, 1990	7:00 PM CDT	F1	Barron	0.5	50			$5,000 to $50,000
September 11, 1990	6:10 PM CDT	F2	Barron	3.0	2,500			$500,000 to $5 million
September 11, 1990	4:50 PM CDT	F1	Barron	0.5	50			$50,000 to $500,000
September 11, 1990	4:45 PM CDT	F2	Barron	1.5	100			$50,000 to $500,000
June 30, 1989	5:30 PM CDT	F0	Barron	0.1	23			$5,000 to $50,000
September 10, 1987	5:30 PM CDT	F0	Barron	0.1	23
September 3, 1986	3:23 PM CDT	F2	Barron	4.0	100			$50,000 to $500,000
May 30, 1985	12:30 AM CDT	F1	Barron	11.0	100			$50,000 to $500,000
July 30, 1977	7:50 PM CDT	F1	Barron	6.6	100			$50,000 to $500,000
July 30, 1977	6:20 PM CDT	F3	Saint Croix	9.1	200			$500,000 to $5 million
August 28, 1975	10:40 AM CDT	F1	Barron	1.5	100			$500 to $5,000
July 26, 1973	6:20 PM CDT	F1	Barron	0.3	100			$5,000 to $50,000
April 29, 1970	8:30 PM CDT	F1	Dunn	9.5	200			$5,000 to $50,000
July 15, 1969	11:55 AM GMT-5	F1	Barron	6.1	50		4	$5,000 to $50,000
June 5, 1969	5:10 PM GMT-5	F1	Washburn	8.3	100			$5,000 to $50,000
July 22, 1967	10:00 PM GMT-5	F2	Barron	49.1	10		6	$50,000 to $500,000
May 5, 1965	12:30 AM GMT-5	F2	Barron	4.5	167			$5,000 to $50,000
August 28, 1964	2:55 AM GMT-5	F1	Barron	5.9	50			$5,000 to $50,000
June 18, 1964	6:45 PM GMT-5	F2	Barron	4.1	13		2
May 5, 1964	3:15 PM GMT-5	F1	Barron	0.3	100			$5,000 to $50,000
August 15, 1962	4:15 PM GMT-5	F1	Barron	50.9	400			$5,000 to $50,000
July 14, 1958	2:00 PM GMT-5	F2	Barron	1.0	67			$5,000 to $50,000
July 4, 1957	7:30 AM GMT-5	F2	Barron	1.3	150		4	$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Barron County The forecast for Barron County The live radar over Barron County Every county in Wisconsin

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.