Wisconsin · Preparedness Guide

Wisconsin sits at the northern edge of the tornado corridor and the southern edge of serious blizzard country — which means it gets both. Spring brings tornadoes and severe thunderstorms across the southern half of the state. Winter brings lake-effect snow from Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, blizzards that close highways across the north, and ice storms in the central corridor. The Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers flood regularly in spring. Northern Wisconsin's forests face wildfire risk in drought years. And with a UI maximum of $370/week unchanged since 2013 — the lowest replacement rate in the Midwest — financial preparation matters here more than in most states.