How Likely Is a Tornado in Vernon County, WI?
Vernon County's tornado history, by the numbers
Vernon County has recorded 25 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 3 years - our Elevated band. Put another way: Vernon County sees more tornado activity than 60% of US counties. Among 72 Wisconsin counties in this dataset, Vernon County ranks 33 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
19 weak and 6 significant tornadoes make up Vernon County's 25-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Vernon 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
31,351 people live in Vernon County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Wisconsin than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Vernon County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 792 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. Vernon County has about 31,351 residents.