Tornadoes · United States · Wisconsin

Tornadoes in Dodge County, Wisconsin

70 tornadoes have crossed Dodge County since 1950, 2 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 2nd of the 72 counties in Wisconsin with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.1 years. They have killed 2 people and injured 54. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
70
Deaths
2
Injuries
54
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, April 21, 1974

The deadliest in Dodge County

  1. F3, Dodge, Fond du Lac and Sheboygan counties, WisconsinApril 21, 19742 killed, 18 injured

The strongest

  1. F3, Fond du Lac, Dodge, Washington and Waukesha counties, WisconsinJune 5, 1977F3, 69.5 mi (112 km)
  2. F3, Dodge, Fond du Lac and Sheboygan counties, WisconsinApril 21, 1974F3, 58.6 mi (94 km)
  3. F3, Green Lake, Dodge and Fond du Lac counties, WisconsinJune 23, 2004F3, 33.3 mi (54 km)
  4. F3, Dodge and Fond du Lac counties, WisconsinApril 21, 1974F3, 22.2 mi (36 km)
  5. F3, Dodge County, WisconsinApril 7, 1980F3, 1.2 mi (2 km)
  6. F2, Dodge and Washington counties, WisconsinJune 1, 2000F2, 17.0 mi (27 km)
  7. F2, Dodge County, WisconsinJune 17, 1978F2, 16.5 mi (27 km)
  8. F2, Dodge County, WisconsinApril 7, 1980F2, 11.5 mi (19 km)
  9. EF2, Dodge County, WisconsinMay 15, 2025EF2, 11.5 mi (18 km)
  10. F2, Dodge County, WisconsinJune 8, 1984F2, 11.0 mi (18 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 34 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Dodge County. Each year links to every tornado in Wisconsin that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20262EF0
202581EF2
20182EF2
20111EF0
20084EF1
200611F1
20041F3
20033F0
20012F1
20001F2
19951F0
19892F1
19882F1
19871F0
19862F0
198421F2
19832F0
19821F1
19813F1
1980522F3
19795F0
19781F2
197748F3
19761F1
19742218F3
19721F1
19701F1
19681F1
196613F2
19642F1
19632F2
19601F1
19561F0
19511F2

Every tornado that crossed Dodge County

70 tornadoes, newest first. The 2 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 13, 202612:44 AM CDTEF0Dodge0.350
June 10, 20263:01 PM CDTEF0Dodge0.775
July 16, 20253:22 PM CDTEF0Dodge3.050$2,000
July 16, 20252:59 PM CDTEF0Dodge0.130
May 15, 20256:09 PM CDTEF1Dodge1.550$45,000
May 15, 20256:08 PM CDTEF1Dodge2.150$10,000
May 15, 20255:57 PM CDTEF2Dodge8.3300$3.4 million
May 15, 20255:48 PM CDTEF1Dodge4.275$1.2 million
May 15, 20255:38 PM CDTEF2Dodge11.55001$2.5 million
May 15, 20255:32 PM CDTEF1Dodge6.6100$135,000
August 28, 20184:12 PM CDTEF1Dodge2.7100
August 28, 20184:11 PM CDTEF2Fond du Lac3.9150$169,000
June 19, 20113:55 PM CDTEF0Dodge0.120
July 10, 20086:00 PM CDTEF1Dodge1.050$20,000
June 12, 20086:25 PM CDTEF0Dodge0.120
June 7, 20083:08 PM CDTEF1Columbia2.975$200,000
June 7, 20083:05 PM CDTEF0Dodge2.225
June 18, 20062:26 PM CDTF1Washington5.84001$4.0 million
June 23, 20048:33 PM CDTF3Green Lake33.3400$15 million
July 6, 20035:47 PM CDTF0Dodge0.125
July 6, 20035:15 PM CDTF0Dodge0.125
July 6, 20035:05 PM CDTF0Dodge0.125
June 11, 20019:45 PM CDTF1Washington6.375$420,000
June 11, 20019:13 PM CDTF1Dodge8.075$700,000
June 1, 20006:06 PM CDTF2Dodge17.0120$1.1 million
August 16, 19956:30 PM CDTF0Dodge0.2100
May 24, 198911:25 PM CDTF1Dodge2.273$50,000 to $500,000
May 24, 198911:10 PM CDTF1Dodge1.573$50,000 to $500,000
June 22, 19883:45 AM CDTF1Dodge2.0100$50,000 to $500,000
May 8, 19886:15 PM CDTF0Dodge0.550$500 to $5,000
July 21, 19877:09 PM CDTF0Dodge0.123$500 to $5,000
July 12, 19866:45 PM CDTF0Dodge0.123$50 to $500
July 12, 19866:00 PM CDTF0Dodge0.123$500 to $5,000
July 23, 19843:30 PM CDTF1Dodge2.550$50,000 to $500,000
June 8, 19842:17 AM CDTF2Dodge11.0501$500,000 to $5 million
August 21, 19833:41 PM CDTF0Dodge0.120$500 to $5,000
July 19, 19838:30 PM CDTF0Dodge0.110$500 to $5,000
July 14, 19823:50 PM CDTF1Dodge0.167$5,000 to $50,000
July 20, 19811:20 PM CDTF0Dodge0.110
June 15, 198112:30 PM CDTF1Dodge0.117$5,000 to $50,000
April 3, 198111:30 PM CSTF1Dodge0.110$5,000 to $50,000
August 7, 19801:50 PM CDTF1Dodge6.667$50,000 to $500,000
April 7, 19804:14 PM CSTF2Washington6.1672$50,000 to $500,000
April 7, 19804:05 PM CSTF2Dodge10.250$50,000 to $500,000
April 7, 19803:41 PM CSTF2Dodge11.57016$500,000 to $5 million
April 7, 19803:35 PM CSTF3Dodge1.2674$50,000 to $500,000
August 9, 19798:52 PM CDTF0Dodge0.110
August 9, 19798:50 PM CDTF0Dodge0.110
August 9, 19798:20 PM CDTF0Dodge0.110
August 9, 19798:15 PM CDTF0Dodge0.110
August 9, 19798:05 PM CDTF0Dodge0.110
June 17, 19787:57 PM CDTF2Dodge16.510$500,000 to $5 million
August 13, 19772:15 PM CDTF0Dodge0.110
June 5, 19779:30 PM CDTF3Fond du Lac69.54008$500,000 to $5 million
June 5, 19772:05 AM CDTF1Dodge8.2100$5,000 to $50,000
May 31, 19773:15 PM CDTF1Dodge2.0100$5,000 to $50,000
April 15, 197611:00 AM CSTF1Columbia25.2150$50,000 to $500,000
April 21, 19744:30 PM CDTF3Dodge58.6200218$500,000 to $5 million
April 21, 19744:00 PM CDTF3Dodge22.2200$500,000 to $5 million
September 20, 19723:30 PM CDTF1Dodge2.050$50,000 to $500,000
December 3, 19703:45 PM CSTF1Dodge3.050$5,000 to $50,000
April 20, 19681:35 PM GMT-6F1Dodge2.0100$5,000 to $50,000
May 23, 19662:00 PM GMT-5F2Dodge4.3503$50,000 to $500,000
September 3, 19646:00 PM GMT-5F1Washington3.310$500 to $5,000
August 22, 19642:45 PM GMT-5F1Dodge1.010$500 to $5,000
June 13, 19635:55 PM GMT-5F1Dodge3.833$500 to $5,000
June 8, 19638:30 PM GMT-5F2Dodge4.133$50,000 to $500,000
August 8, 19605:00 PM GMT-5F1Dodge4.110$500 to $5,000
July 21, 19565:00 PM GMT-5F0Dodge0.110
June 19, 19519:50 PM GMT-5F2Dodge1.0467$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Dodge CountyThe forecast for Dodge CountyThe live radar over Dodge CountyEvery 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.