States › Wisconsin › Buffalo County › Flood
Flood in Buffalo County, Wisconsin
39 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 39 flood events in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 15 years.
August is the busiest month, with 14 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 31 events against 8 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.5% of the 2,580 flood events recorded in Wisconsin; its 5.8 per 100 square miles compares with 4.8 statewide.
Compared with Wisconsin
| Measure | Buffalo County | Wisconsin | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 39 | 2,580 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.8 | 4.8 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 29.3 | 4.4 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 30 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | August | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
2Apr
4May
3Jun
8Jul
4Aug
14Sep
4Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 39 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 May 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | $8K | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2018 | Flood | — | $20K | $9K | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 2018 | Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2017 | Flood | — | $527K | $1.2M | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2017 | Flash Flood | — | $500K | $2.9M | — | — | County |
| 19 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Aug 2016 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Aug 2016 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $4.2M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2015 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Sep 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Sep 2010 | Flood | — | $670K | $281K | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2010 | Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $103K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $1.7M | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2009 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2009 | Flood | — | $1K | $16K | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2007 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | $800 | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2007 | Flash Flood | — | $3K | $300 | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 2007 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2004 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | $8K | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2001 | Flash Flood | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2001 | Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Apr 2001 | Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Jun 1998 | Flash Flood | — | $13K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 1997 | Flash Flood | — | $35K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Buffalo County had?
39 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in Buffalo County?
1 May 2023 (Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Buffalo County?
The flash flood of 11 Aug 2016, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $4.2M.
How does Buffalo County compare with Wisconsin for flood?
5.8 events per 100 square miles against 4.8 statewide; the county holds 39 of the state's 2,580 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Flood hub and the county page.