Wisconsin Summers are a Time for Severe Weather

Summer is a time for sunshine, but it also brings some of the area’s most severe weather. A summer thunderstorm can mean an exciting light show, send the kids and the dog under the bed, and knock the humidity from the air.

Those storms can also spawn tornadoes, and severe winds that cause damage and power outages.

This has already been an active year, with Wisconsin experiencing 37 tornadoes as of late June, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  

WisconsinWatch.org’s InfoLink has a compilation of Wisconsin tornado facts and figures. From their information:

Deadly tornadoes

The deadliest tornado in the state happened on June 12, 1899, when the “Circus Day Tornado” ripped through New Richmond, leaving 117 dead and 125 injured.  The most recent tornado on the list was from June 8, 1984, when the “Barneveld Tornado” injured 200 and killed nine in Barneveld.

Tons of twisters

 The state saw 748 tornadoes from 1980 through 2010. 2005 had the most reported tornadoes, with 62 in the state—and 27 of those from one day, Aug. 18.

By decade, the 1980s saw 243 tornadoes; the 1990s had 211; and the 2000s had 265. 2010, the only year of the 2010s for which data is available, had 46 tornadoes.

Check out all the tornado data available on InfoLink.