Tornado History

Portage Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Portage, Wisconsin. The records below identify 25 tornadoes from 1951 through 2025, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $3.9M, with 2 deaths and 4 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes25
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries4
Property Damage$3.9M
Avg Length5.1 mi
Avg Width123 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Portage, Wisconsin

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.3 tornadoes per year (0.2/yr in last decade)
June is the peak tornado month with 9 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F2 in Portage, Wisconsin with 2 deaths
1976 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 1970s had the most tornado activity (7 events)
Longest tornado: 19.08 miles in Portage, Wisconsin
Widest tornado: 700.0 yards in Portage, Wisconsin
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Jun 23, 2004

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Portage, Wisconsin, June is the most active month with 9 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

4320

Summary: 1976 was the most active year with 4 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
F4

Summary: F1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 10 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$1.8M$180K$18K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 2011 with at least $1.8M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 September 26, 19511951F2 April 3, 19561956F2 April 27, 19841984F2 May 16, 19921992F2 August 22, 19641964F2 July 7, 19701970F2 June 12, 19761976F2 June 13, 19761976EF1 May 22, 20112011F1 March 30, 19821982F1 October 8, 19921992F1 May 16, 19921992F1 June 23, 20042004F1 April 19, 19571957F1 June 13, 1976F1 December 1, 1970F1 June 9, 1974F1 June 12, 1976F1 June 23, 2004EF0 July 12, 2017F0 May 8, 1988F0 June 23, 1962F0 June 23, 2004EF0 July 9, 2013EF0 May 15, 2025© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Portage, Wisconsin.
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
September 26, 1951F4Portage, Wisconsin4.1 mi100 yd00$250K
April 3, 1956F2Portage, Wisconsin18.2 mi100 yd22$250K
April 27, 1984F2Portage, Wisconsin5.5 mi20 yd00$250K
May 16, 1992F2Portage, Wisconsin11 mi400 yd00$250K
August 22, 1964F2Portage, Wisconsin6.4 mi333 yd00$25K
July 7, 1970F2Portage, Wisconsin2 mi100 yd00$25K
June 12, 1976F2Portage, Wisconsin0.2 mi50 yd00$25K
June 13, 1976F2Portage, Wisconsin0.3 mi50 yd00$2K
May 22, 2011EF1Portage, Wisconsin19.08 mi700 yd00$1.8M
March 30, 1982F1Portage, Wisconsin10 mi33 yd00$250K
October 8, 1992F1Portage, Wisconsin2 mi100 yd00$250K
May 16, 1992F1Portage, Wisconsin1.2 mi400 yd00$250K
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Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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