Grant County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Wisconsin Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Grant County is about the same as Wisconsin average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Grant County is higher than Wisconsin average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #15
| Grant County | 0.00 |
| Wisconsin | 0.00 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Grant County | 0.0000 |
| Wisconsin | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #21
| Grant County | 172.38 |
| Wisconsin | 153.98 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 14,902 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Grant County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 53 | Cold: | 182 | Dense Fog: | 127 | Drought: | 61 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,375 | Hail: | 4,290 | Heat: | 82 | Heavy Snow: | 213 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 75 | Landslide: | 1 | Strong Wind: | 205 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 6,491 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 14 | Winter Storm: | 431 | Winter Weather: | 233 |
| Other: | 1,069 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Grant County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Grant County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Grant County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 72 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Grant County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 4.6 | 1959-05-19 | 2 | 42°48'N / 90°48'W | 42°50'N / 90°42'W | 4.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Grant |
| 6.8 | 1957-05-25 | 2 | 42°54'N / 90°55'W | 43°00'N / 90°38'W | 15.60 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Grant |
| 8.8 | 1969-06-26 | 2 | 42°58'N / 90°35'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Grant | |
| 9.1 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 42°59'N / 90°51'W | 43°00'N / 90°41'W | 10.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 10.6 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 42°56'N / 90°35'W | 42°59'N / 90°28'W | 7.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 12.8 | 1970-09-09 | 2 | 42°41'N / 90°40'W | 42°47'N / 90°23'W | 15.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 13.3 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 42°52'N / 90°35'W | 43°10'N / 90°28'W | 21.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Clinton |
| 13.6 | 1985-05-30 | 2 | 42°55'N / 90°27'W | 42°55'N / 90°25'W | 1.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 15.3 | 1966-07-13 | 2 | 42°43'N / 90°30'W | 42°44'N / 90°26'W | 2.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 15.6 | 1985-05-30 | 3 | 42°53'N / 91°08'W | 42°56'N / 90°52'W | 14.00 Miles | 1500 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant |
| 15.7 | 1969-06-04 | 2 | 42°46'N / 91°00'W | 42°44'N / 90°55'W | 4.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 19.3 | 1969-06-04 | 2 | 42°50'N / 90°34'W | 42°42'N / 90°07'W | 24.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 22.1 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°44'N / 90°20'W | 42°48'N / 90°14'W | 6.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lafayette |
| 22.1 | 1985-05-30 | 2 | 42°55'N / 90°25'W | 43°00'N / 90°08'W | 14.20 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Iowa |
| 24.1 | 1970-09-09 | 3 | 42°30'N / 90°40'W | 42°33'N / 90°35'W | 4.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Dubuque |
| 24.1 | 1998-05-15 | 2 | 42°33'N / 90°24'W | 42°48'N / 90°12'W | 20.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 11 | 1.7M | 140K | Lafayette |
| Brief Description: A supercell thunderstorm, after dropping a couple tornadoes in northeast Iowa, eventually moved northeast into Lafayette county, creating another tornado. This tornado touched down just southwest of Benton and hopped/skipped northeast for 20 miles. It caused moderate to severe damage to 40 different farms and their outbuildings, and homes. Numerous power lines were downed. Eleven people were injured: 2 children near Cuba city, 3 children southwest of Truman, and 6 adults in a vehicle on Highway 81 south of Benton. Several farm fields sustained damage. After the F2 tornado tore through Lafayette county a series of severe thunderstorms pummeled southcentral and southeast Wisconsin with numerous reports of tree limb damage and trees downed, which in turn downed a few power lines. The highest reported wind gust was 65 mph near Reedsburg (Sauk Co.). Other notable damage included roofs and doors ripped off of buildings in Mayville (Dodge Co.) and a deck ripped off a house in Ripon (Fond du Lac Co.) where several cars where also damaged by felled trees. | |||||||||||
| 25.6 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°48'N / 90°14'W | 42°52'N / 90°09'W | 5.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Iowa |
| 25.7 | 1966-07-09 | 2 | 42°30'N / 90°40'W | 42°30'N / 90°38'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dubuque | ||
| 27.0 | 1965-08-26 | 2 | 42°32'N / 90°58'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dubuque | |
| 27.2 | 1954-04-07 | 2 | 43°08'N / 90°23'W | 43°10'N / 90°15'W | 6.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Iowa |
| 27.6 | 1956-04-03 | 2 | 43°06'N / 90°15'W | 43°09'N / 90°18'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Iowa |
| 28.5 | 1964-09-03 | 3 | 43°12'N / 90°38'W | 43°18'N / 90°19'W | 17.10 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Richland |
| 28.9 | 1980-06-05 | 2 | 43°43'N / 91°03'W | 42°42'N / 91°01'W | 70.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Vernon |
| 29.2 | 1983-07-03 | 4 | 42°58'N / 90°08'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Iowa | |
| 30.0 | 1970-09-09 | 2 | 42°30'N / 90°25'W | 42°32'N / 90°17'W | 6.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lafayette |
| 30.6 | 1958-05-31 | 2 | 42°43'N / 90°09'W | 42°44'N / 90°06'W | 1.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lafayette |
| 31.4 | 1970-09-09 | 2 | 42°24'N / 90°30'W | 42°30'N / 90°25'W | 7.70 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jo Daviess |
| 31.9 | 1990-06-13 | 2 | 42°51'N / 91°24'W | 42°53'N / 91°15'W | 8.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clayton |
| 32.0 | 1965-05-15 | 2 | 42°55'N / 90°04'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Iowa | |
| 32.3 | 1953-05-10 | 3 | 42°57'N / 91°20'W | 43°03'N / 91°17'W | 6.60 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clayton |
| 32.3 | 1985-05-30 | 3 | 42°51'N / 91°32'W | 42°53'N / 91°08'W | 20.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 2 | 25 | 25.0M | 0 | Clayton |
| 32.8 | 1970-09-09 | 2 | 42°30'N / 91°06'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dubuque | |
| 33.1 | 1969-06-29 | 2 | 42°36'N / 90°14'W | 42°39'N / 90°02'W | 10.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lafayette |
| 33.8 | 1988-05-08 | 3 | 42°35'N / 90°14'W | 42°43'N / 89°58'W | 16.00 Miles | 123 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lafayette |
| 34.1 | 1967-04-30 | 2 | 42°24'N / 90°54'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dubuque | |
| 34.2 | 1955-04-18 | 2 | 42°50'N / 90°08'W | 43°02'N / 89°55'W | 17.30 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Iowa |
| 34.7 | 1965-08-25 | 2 | 43°04'N / 91°23'W | 43°01'N / 91°18'W | 4.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clayton |
| 35.2 | 1964-05-04 | 2 | 43°13'N / 91°12'W | 43°19'N / 91°04'W | 9.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Allamakee |
| 35.7 | 1964-05-04 | 2 | 43°15'N / 91°04'W | 43°25'N / 90°57'W | 12.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Crawford |
| 36.0 | 1969-06-29 | 2 | 42°24'N / 91°00'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dubuque | |||
| 37.2 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°51'N / 90°56'W | 42°52'N / 90°55'W | 70.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cedar |
| 37.7 | 1991-03-27 | 2 | 42°19'N / 90°39'W | 42°20'N / 90°38'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 38.3 | 1972-09-28 | 2 | 42°17'N / 91°22'W | 42°25'N / 90°33'W | 42.60 Miles | 2200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Jones |
| 39.4 | 1991-03-27 | 2 | 42°17'N / 90°42'W | 42°19'N / 90°39'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Dubuque |
| 39.6 | 1990-03-13 | 4 | 42°23'N / 91°08'W | 42°24'N / 91°07'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Dubuque |
| 40.8 | 1958-07-29 | 2 | 42°20'N / 91°05'W | 42°17'N / 90°48'W | 14.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dubuque |
| 40.9 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 43°17'N / 90°27'W | 43°31'N / 90°13'W | 20.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Richland |
| 41.2 | 1984-06-07 | 5 | 42°58'N / 89°59'W | 43°05'N / 89°50'W | 10.00 Miles | 450 Yards | 9 | 200 | 250K | 0 | Iowa |
| 41.2 | 1964-05-08 | 2 | 43°26'N / 90°43'W | 43°30'N / 90°40'W | 4.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Vernon |
| 41.8 | 1954-04-30 | 4 | 42°06'N / 91°45'W | 43°11'N / 91°10'W | 80.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Linn |
| 42.5 | 1963-09-02 | 2 | 42°43'N / 89°59'W | 42°43'N / 89°47'W | 9.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lafayette |
| 42.6 | 1955-04-19 | 2 | 42°16'N / 90°41'W | 42°16'N / 90°22'W | 15.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jackson |
| 42.6 | 1960-11-15 | 2 | 42°28'N / 91°28'W | 42°34'N / 91°18'W | 10.50 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 42.8 | 1960-11-15 | 2 | 42°16'N / 90°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Jackson | |
| 42.9 | 1969-06-26 | 2 | 42°22'N / 91°34'W | 42°39'N / 91°12'W | 26.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 43.3 | 2005-08-18 | 2 | 43°30'N / 90°40'W | 43°28'N / 90°22'W | 13.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 75K | Richland |
| Brief Description: Six tornadoes affected southwest Wisconsin, which was part of an all-time one day record of 27 tornadoes hitting the state. The first tornado touched down briefly just west of Centerville (Trempealeau County). The only damage reported with this tornado was several trees knocked down just north of Highway 35 along County Road G. A second and stronger tornado occurred just north of County Highway KK, or just west of Esofea (Vernon County). There was tree, agricultural and structural damage. A moblie home, which was on cement blocks, was completely destroyed. The occupant of the mobile home was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Another residence sustained minor damage, with windows blown out, outbuildings destroyed and a car turned 90 degrees. Power poles were snapped, corn was flattened and there was significant tree damage. The third and strongest tornado touched down just west of Liberty (Vernon County), then tracked along a continous path just north of Highway 56, to the northern most block of the town of Viola (Richland County). Three people were reported injured in Viola and almost every tree in the town was damaged or downed. Most homes in the village had at least minor damage, while a few sustained major damage, including roofs blown off. Many garages facing west or southwest were destroyed by the direct impact of the winds. Wind speeds associated with the tornado were estimated at 100 to 120 mph. The tornado path became more sporadic as it moved east of Viola across northern Richland County. The damage path extended from just north of County Highway MM and Highway 56 into Bloom City (Richland County), which apparently took a direct hit from the storm. The tornado continued on an east-southeast track, before lifting just west of Hub City (Richland County). A fourth tornado touched down along County Road N, or just east of the location where Interstate 90 and 94 split in eastern Monroe County. This tornado continued on a 10 mile track into Juneau County, ending just west of the Necedah Wildlife Refuge Headquarters. There was tree, agricultural and structural damage. A home, which was under construction, was completely destroyed. Three other homes sustained minor damage. Corn was flattened and there was significant tree damage as well. A fifth tornado touched down in the town of Muscoda (Grant County) causing minor damage to homes, but knocking down or shearing off numerous trees. This tornado crossed the Wisconsin River into the small community of Orion (Richland County). Several mobile homes were damaged, including several reportedly tossed into the air. Many trees were damaged there as well. The sixth and final tornado briefly touched down near the intersection of Highway 82 and 13 in Adams County. Mobile homes were damaged, along with nearby trees. Richland and Vernon County were declared federal disaster areas. | |||||||||||
| 43.4 | 1988-11-15 | 2 | 42°29'N / 91°28'W | 42°36'N / 91°23'W | 11.00 Miles | 63 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 43.7 | 1990-03-13 | 4 | 42°20'N / 91°16'W | 42°23'N / 91°08'W | 9.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Delaware |
| 43.7 | 1954-04-30 | 2 | 42°13'N / 91°12'W | 42°27'N / 91°06'W | 16.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jones |
| 43.9 | 1964-05-04 | 2 | 42°20'N / 91°15'W | 42°23'N / 91°10'W | 4.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 44.1 | 1969-06-29 | 2 | 42°54'N / 89°52'W | 42°56'N / 89°47'W | 3.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Iowa |
| 44.6 | 2005-08-18 | 2 | 43°31'N / 90°46'W | 43°31'N / 90°38'W | 7.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 800K | 194K | Vernon |
| Brief Description: Six tornadoes affected southwest Wisconsin, which was part of an all-time one day record of 27 tornadoes hitting the state. The first tornado touched down briefly just west of Centerville (Trempealeau County). The only damage reported with this tornado was several trees knocked down just north of Highway 35 along County Road G. A second and stronger tornado occurred just north of County Highway KK, or just west of Esofea (Vernon County). There was tree, agricultural and structural damage. A moblie home, which was on cement blocks, was completely destroyed. The occupant of the mobile home was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Another residence sustained minor damage, with windows blown out, outbuildings destroyed and a car turned 90 degrees. Power poles were snapped, corn was flattened and there was significant tree damage. The third and strongest tornado touched down just west of Liberty (Vernon County), then tracked along a continous path just north of Highway 56, to the northern most block of the town of Viola (Richland County). Three people were reported injured in Viola and almost every tree in the town was damaged or downed. Most homes in the village had at least minor damage, while a few sustained major damage, including roofs blown off. Many garages facing west or southwest were destroyed by the direct impact of the winds. Wind speeds associated with the tornado were estimated at 100 to 120 mph. The tornado path became more sporadic as it moved east of Viola across northern Richland County. The damage path extended from just north of County Highway MM and Highway 56 into Bloom City (Richland County), which apparently took a direct hit from the storm. The tornado continued on an east-southeast track, before lifting just west of Hub City (Richland County). A fourth tornado touched down along County Road N, or just east of the location where Interstate 90 and 94 split in eastern Monroe County. This tornado continued on a 10 mile track into Juneau County, ending just west of the Necedah Wildlife Refuge Headquarters. There was tree, agricultural and structural damage. A home, which was under construction, was completely destroyed. Three other homes sustained minor damage. Corn was flattened and there was significant tree damage as well. A fifth tornado touched down in the town of Muscoda (Grant County) causing minor damage to homes, but knocking down or shearing off numerous trees. This tornado crossed the Wisconsin River into the small community of Orion (Richland County). Several mobile homes were damaged, including several reportedly tossed into the air. Many trees were damaged there as well. The sixth and final tornado briefly touched down near the intersection of Highway 82 and 13 in Adams County. Mobile homes were damaged, along with nearby trees. Richland and Vernon County were declared federal disaster areas. | |||||||||||
| 45.0 | 1967-06-11 | 2 | 42°24'N / 90°06'W | 42°26'N / 90°01'W | 4.30 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jo Daviess |
| 45.6 | 1964-05-08 | 2 | 43°30'N / 90°40'W | 43°33'N / 90°29'W | 9.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Richland |
| 46.9 | 2007-06-01 | 2 | 42°12'N / 90°25'W | 42°15'N / 90°24'W | 3.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.3M | 0K | Jackson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down about 3.5 miles south of Bellevue, IA. It moved north to county road Z15 and then northeast crossing the Mississippi River just south of Lock and Dam 12 into Jo Daviess County Illinois. Along the path, damage consisted of snapped and uprooted trees, farm out buildings, and roofs. The most significant damage occurred near the junction of county highway Z15 and 407th Avenue. A mobile home was rolled over and destroyed. The residents of the mobile home had taken shelter in the farm house about 100 feet away. The farm house only had damaged gutters. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A line of thunderstorms pivoted northeast into parts of southeast Iowa during the mid-morning hours of June 1st. Much of the area was just breaking out of a blanket of dense fog where visibilities dropped to less than a quarter mile. Dew point temperatures were in the middle 60s to around 70 degrees. The line of storms appeared to become more broken through the late morning hours, while the area from Iowa City to Waterloo appeared to stratify out into a large area of showers. Just before 12:00 pm CDT, rapid intensification of storm cells on the southeast end of the original line occurred as it moved into northern portions of Louisa County. A tornado touched down just south of Grandview, IA and moved northeast through Fruitland, IA and on to the southwest parts of Muscatine, IA. The tornado then lifted and as the storm cell continued to move northeast across Muscatine County. The super-cell re-intensified as it entered the southeast part of Cedar County just before 1 pm producing a brief tornado near Wilton, IA. The storm then moved across northwest parts of Scott County and Clinton County producing damaging wind gusts and large hail. The super-cell continued northeast into Jackson County producing a tornado near Bellevue around 2:30 pm, which moved across the Mississippi River into Jo Daviess County before lifting. The storm produced yet another tornado just south of Scales Mound, IL around 3:15 pm before moving into southwest Wisconsin and dissipating. During the early afternoon hours, additional storms strengthened on the south end of the original line of storms, which went on to produce wind damage and large hail as they moved through northwest Illinois through the late afternoon hours. | |||||||||||
| 47.0 | 1991-03-22 | 2 | 42°21'N / 91°32'W | 42°35'N / 91°21'W | 17.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 47.7 | 1989-06-26 | 2 | 43°25'N / 90°07'W | 0.30 Mile | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sauk | |
| 48.0 | 1995-07-27 | 3 | 42°36'N / 91°41'W | 42°27'N / 91°21'W | 20.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 330K | Buchanan And Delaware |
| 48.3 | 1951-07-03 | 2 | 43°29'N / 90°14'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland | |
| 49.8 | 1980-06-05 | 3 | 43°40'N / 91°13'W | 43°27'N / 90°46'W | 26.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Vernon |
| 49.9 | 1990-03-13 | 4 | 42°16'N / 91°20'W | 42°20'N / 91°16'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Jones |
| 50.0 | 1987-07-29 | 2 | 43°13'N / 91°38'W | 43°14'N / 91°29'W | 7.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Allamakee |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.