Wisconsin, 1980
The year's recorded storm events, federal disaster declarations and flood insurance claims.
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.
Events by hazard
Includes events recorded by forecast zone. The state's yearly total for 1980 was 262 against 91 in 1979.
Counties with the most recorded events
Notable events
| Date | County | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 1980 | Dunn | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | 1 | 12 |
| 15 Jul 1980 | Eau Claire | Tornado | F3 | $2,500,000 | 1 | 10 |
| 15 Jul 1980 | Chippewa | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 Apr 1980 | Dodge | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | 16 |
| 7 Apr 1980 | Dodge | Tornado | F3 | $250,000 | — | 4 |
| 14 Jun 1980 | Oneida | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | 3 |
| 7 Apr 1980 | Washington | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | 2 |
| 5 Jun 1980 | Vernon | Tornado | F3 | $2,500,000 | — | 1 |
| 15 Jul 1980 | St. Croix | Tornado | F2 | $2,500,000 | — | — |
| 5 Jul 1980 | Manitowoc | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 4 Aug 1980 | Milwaukee | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 4 Aug 1980 | Fond du Lac | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 15 Jul 1980 | Eau Claire | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 7 Aug 1980 | Dodge | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 19 Aug 1980 | Grant | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 20 Sep 1980 | Shawano | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 7 Apr 1980 | Dodge | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 7 Apr 1980 | Dodge | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 7 Jun 1980 | Manitowoc | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 5 Jun 1980 | Jefferson | Tornado | F3 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 5 Jun 1980 | Waukesha | Tornado | F3 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 6 Jun 1980 | Walworth | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 30 May 1980 | Oconto | Tornado | F1 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 5 Jun 1980 | La Crosse | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 5 Jun 1980 | Vernon | Tornado | F2 | $250,000 | — | — |
| 29 Jul 1980 | Columbia | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 29 Jul 1980 | Waukesha | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 30 May 1980 | Shawano | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jul 1980 | Ashland | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 19 Jul 1980 | Adams | Tornado | F2 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 15 Jul 1980 | Eau Claire | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 3 Sep 1980 | Douglas | Tornado | F2 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 5 Jun 1980 | Jefferson | Tornado | F2 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 30 May 1980 | Outagamie | Tornado | F1 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 29 Jul 1980 | Columbia | Tornado | F1 | $2,500 | — | — |
| 9 May 1980 | Polk | Tornado | F0 | $2,500 | — | — |
| 7 Apr 1980 | Trempealeau | Tornado | F0 | $2,500 | — | — |
| 15 Jul 1980 | Chippewa | Tornado | F1 | $2,500 | — | — |
| 5 Jun 1980 | Fond du Lac | Tornado | F1 | $2,500 | — | — |
| 5 Jun 1980 | Green | Tornado | F1 | $2,500 | — | — |
Up to 40 events with deaths, injuries, damage of $50,000 or more, or a tornado rating, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage.
Federal disaster declarations in 1980
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jul 1980 | DR-626 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | 4 |
| 24 Apr 1980 | FM-2039 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Spooner Fire, Washburn Co. | 0 |
Flood insurance claims with a 1980 date of loss
104 NFIP claims, 58 of them paid, for $241,393.
Sources: NOAA NCEI Storm Events through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2 (1 Oct 2026); OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 (8 Sep 2026). Built 1 Oct 2026.