How Likely Is a Tornado in Polk County, WI?
How likely is a tornado in Polk County, WI?
Polk County has recorded 34 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 2.2 years - our Elevated band. Put another way: Polk County sees more tornado activity than 74% of US counties. Wisconsin has 72 counties in this dataset; Polk County ranks 18 of them by frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
28 weak and 6 significant tornadoes make up Polk County's 34-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Polk County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Wisconsin has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Wisconsin this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
A direct hit is not required for Polk County to lose power - outbreak-wide outages across Wisconsin regularly reach homes and businesses well outside the actual tracks. A battery bank covers that gap without a generator's fuel and venting needs.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Polk County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 914 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Polk County has about 45,831 residents.