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Wisconsin tornado count hits second-highest yearly total on record

By
FOX6 News Milwaukee
Severe Weather
Published August 20, 2026 3:31 PM CDT
Published August 20, 2026 3:31 PM CDT
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The Brief

    • The NWS confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down southwest of Hubertus on Tuesday evening, Aug. 18.
    • There have now been 47 confirmed tornadoes across Wisconsin this year.
    • That is the second-highest yearly count on record, since records began in 1950.

MILWAUKEE - A confirmed tornado Tuesday night brought Wisconsin’s yearly total to 47, more than double the annual average of 23.

Wisconsin tornadoes

By the numbers:

That makes 2026 the second-highest tornado year on record in Wisconsin, with records dating back to 1950. For comparison, Wisconsin recorded 45 tornadoes in all of 2024. The state record is 62 tornadoes, set in 2005.

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And remember, it’s only August. Wisconsin’s severe weather season can extend well into the fall, so there’s still plenty of time for that number to climb.

Hubertus tornado

Local perspective:

The latest information on Tuesday's tornado from the National Weather Service shows a brief, two-minute track from the intersection of Timber Stone Way and Elmwood Road to the intersection of Elmwood Road and Scenic Road.

It occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m. Structural damage was limited along the short damage path, though dented siding and a blown out window were observed. The maximum estimated wind speed of 80 mph was determined from the uprooting of multiple mature and healthy hardwood trees. 

Thunderstorms also produced areas of straight-line wind damage along their path. Surveys conducted in other areas of radar-indicated rotation discovered primarily 60–80 mph straight line wind damage, with sporadic pockets of downburst wind damage from western Washington County southeast into Waukesha County and the Milwaukee metro. 

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Midwest tornadoes

Big picture view:

While 47 tornadoes in a year is certainly notable for Wisconsin, it pales in comparison to our neighbors to the south.

Illinois has now recorded more than 200 tornadoes this year. The state has been hit by numerous tornado outbreaks since spring, impacting communities across Illinois. It’s also interesting to see how concentrated the highest tornado counts are, with several of the top states neighboring one another – from Iowa and Missouri to Illinois and Indiana.

The Source: Information in this story is from the FOX6 Weather Experts and the National Weather Service.

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