Viola, WI Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Viola is about the same as Wisconsin average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Viola is lower than Wisconsin average and is about the same as the national average.
Earthquake Index, #365
| Viola, WI | 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
| Viola, WI | 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, #482
| Viola, WI | 140.11 |
| 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 3,026 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Viola, WI 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: | 16 | Cold: | 69 | Dense Fog: | 5 | Drought: | 2 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 312 | Hail: | 911 | Heat: | 36 | Heavy Snow: | 61 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 19 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 58 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,232 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 5 | Winter Storm: | 153 | Winter Weather: | 15 |
| Other: | 132 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Viola, WI.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Viola, WI.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Viola, WI.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 55 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Viola, WI.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 2.9 | 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 |
| 5.1 | 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 |
| 8.0 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 13.0 | 1964-05-08 | 2 | 43°33'N / 90°29'W | 43°38'N / 90°24'W | 6.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Richland |
| 16.4 | 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 |
| 18.5 | 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 |
| 19.3 | 1979-08-09 | 2 | 43°39'N / 90°22'W | 43°39'N / 90°19'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Vernon | ||
| 20.3 | 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 |
| 20.7 | 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 |
| 22.0 | 1979-08-09 | 2 | 43°39'N / 90°19'W | 43°38'N / 90°14'W | 2.70 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Juneau |
| 22.1 | 1951-07-03 | 2 | 43°29'N / 90°14'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland | |
| 22.9 | 1966-04-19 | 2 | 43°38'N / 90°20'W | 43°45'N / 90°15'W | 8.60 Miles | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Vernon |
| 24.5 | 1957-04-19 | 3 | 43°44'N / 90°26'W | 43°50'N / 90°18'W | 9.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Monroe |
| 24.8 | 1980-06-05 | 2 | 43°45'N / 91°04'W | 43°43'N / 91°03'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | La Crosse | ||
| 26.9 | 1985-08-12 | 2 | 43°47'N / 90°22'W | 43°50'N / 90°18'W | 5.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Monroe |
| 27.4 | 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 |
| 27.6 | 1967-03-31 | 2 | 43°38'N / 90°11'W | 43°40'N / 90°08'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wood |
| 28.4 | 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 |
| 28.6 | 1989-06-26 | 2 | 43°25'N / 90°07'W | 0.30 Mile | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sauk | |
| 30.0 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 43°45'N / 90°46'W | 44°08'N / 90°37'W | 27.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Monroe |
| 30.4 | 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 |
| 31.9 | 1986-06-26 | 2 | 43°56'N / 90°53'W | 43°58'N / 90°49'W | 5.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Monroe |
| 33.1 | 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 |
| 33.7 | 1965-05-25 | 2 | 43°32'N / 90°00'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 8 | 25K | 0 | Sauk | |
| 33.9 | 1961-05-14 | 2 | 43°48'N / 91°13'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | La Crosse | |
| 34.0 | 1979-05-10 | 2 | 43°59'N / 90°30'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Monroe | |||
| 34.6 | 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 |
| 34.6 | 1964-05-04 | 2 | 43°51'N / 90°17'W | 43°57'N / 90°12'W | 7.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Juneau |
| 35.9 | 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 |
| 37.6 | 1969-06-26 | 2 | 42°58'N / 90°35'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Grant | |
| 38.5 | 1985-08-12 | 2 | 43°50'N / 90°18'W | 44°00'N / 90°00'W | 17.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 2 | 22 | 2.5M | 0 | Juneau |
| 38.6 | 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 |
| 38.8 | 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 |
| 39.2 | 1960-08-28 | 2 | 44°04'N / 90°48'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Monroe | |
| 39.9 | 1957-04-19 | 2 | 43°58'N / 91°10'W | 43°58'N / 91°09'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | La Crosse | ||
| 40.8 | 1966-08-15 | 2 | 43°25'N / 90°08'W | 43°34'N / 89°35'W | 29.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Sauk |
| 41.0 | 1984-10-16 | 2 | 43°46'N / 90°05'W | 44°02'N / 90°02'W | 17.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Juneau |
| 41.1 | 1965-05-05 | 3 | 43°55'N / 91°21'W | 44°04'N / 90°57'W | 22.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | La Crosse |
| 42.5 | 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 |
| 42.8 | 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 |
| 44.3 | 1957-04-19 | 4 | 43°52'N / 90°11'W | 44°10'N / 90°05'W | 21.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 1 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Juneau |
| 44.5 | 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 |
| 44.7 | 1965-05-05 | 3 | 43°51'N / 91°27'W | 43°55'N / 91°21'W | 6.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Winona |
| 45.2 | 1971-07-18 | 2 | 44°07'N / 91°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Monroe | |
| 45.4 | 2005-08-18 | 2 | 43°22'N / 89°54'W | 43°21'N / 89°41'W | 11.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 600K | 20K | Sauk |
| Brief Description: This tornado spun up from the same supercell thunderstorm that spawned the "Viola" tornado earlier in Vernon and Richland counties. This Sauk County tornado spun up at 1633CST about 3.6 miles northeast of Leland, or about 1/4 mile south of the intersection of Ruff and Pine Hollow Roads. The tornado headed east-southeast for about 11.1 miles in Sauk County, and crossed the Columbia County line at 1655CST about 4.5 miles north-northeast of Prairie du Sac, between Wiegans Bay and a boat launch site. This tornado crossed CTH C about 0.5 mile west of Stones Pocket Road, and moved through old Badger Ammunition Plant just south of the greatest density of roads within the Plant grounds. This rain-wrapped tornado was video taped and photographed, and damaged many structures, trees, and power-lines. As for residential buildings, 10 received minor damage, 1 had major damage, and one was destroyed. One business building had minor damage. As for agricultural buildings, 5 received minor damage, and 6 were destroyed. This tornado was rated an F2 with estimated winds of 98-136 knots (113-157 mph). Average path width was about 150 yards. The largest single-day tornado outbreak in Wisconsin recorded history for south-central and southeast Wisconsin occurred on August 18, 2005. Sixteen tornadoes were documented on this day in south-central and southeast Wisconsin, a new single-day record. A line of supercells developed and pushed across south-central Wisconsin during the afternoon hours, and then pushed east across southeast Wisconsin during the evening hours. Most of the tornadoes were associated with two supercells. One main supercell tracked across Sauk County and then into Columbia, producing one F0 and one F2 tornado. The F2 tornado crossed into Columbia County. Another main supercell produced an F3 tornado that devastated the area north of city of Stoughton (Dane Co.), and a weaker F1 tornado just south of the city of Rockdale (Dane Co.). This supercell then tracked into southwestern Jefferson County a short time later, producing two F0 tornadoes and four F1 tornadoes. The sixteen (16) tornadoes contributed largely to both the new state record of 27 tornadoes on a single day, and 62 tornadoes for a calendar year. In additiion, there were scattered reports of funnel clouds, damaging straight-line, downburst winds, and large hail across south-central and southeast Wisconsin. The total direct damage estimate for the afternoon and evening tornado and severe weather outbreak in south-central and southeast Wisconsin on August 18th was about $36.6 M ($35.7 property and $948 K crop). Additional indirect costs totaled almost $1.9 M, resulting in a total direct and direct cost of about $38.5 M. Synoptically, a surface low pressure system was located over extreme southeast Minnesota early in the afternoon. A warm front extended east southeast from the low with dew points pooling in the lower 70s along it. The surface low moved east into east central Wisconsin by 2100CST that evening. Favorable wind shear associated with the warm front, combined with the strong instability supplied by the heat and humidity, helped to produce numerous tornadic supercells. | |||||||||||
| 45.4 | 1983-07-03 | 3 | 44°05'N / 90°14'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Juneau | |
| 46.0 | 1964-05-04 | 2 | 44°07'N / 90°57'W | 44°12'N / 90°47'W | 9.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 46.1 | 1983-07-03 | 4 | 42°58'N / 90°08'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Iowa | |
| 46.5 | 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 |
| 47.4 | 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 |
| 47.8 | 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 |
| 48.5 | 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 |
| 49.2 | 1980-07-19 | 2 | 43°55'N / 89°52'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Adams | |
| 49.3 | 1984-07-10 | 2 | 43°58'N / 89°58'W | 43°58'N / 89°52'W | 4.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Adams |
* 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.