Crawford County Emergency Management

06/29/2026

This week is going to be dangerously hot. We will get some relief at nights and maybe a thunderstorm or two can cut the heat but if we don't get those storms, you will need to be prepared. Look at a couple of these slides from the US National Weather Service La Crosse Wisconsin for tips and tricks to stay cool through this heat wave. The heat index for our area is ranging between 95 and 110. DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN OR ANIMALS IN A VEHICLE UNATTENDED! Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.

06/19/2026

Per the US National Weather Service La Crosse Wisconsin

Low pressure dropped through the Driftless Region during the afternoon hours of June 17, 2026. This system, combined with strong wind shear and a narrow axis of moisture and instability, produced a cluster of thunderstorms over southeast Minnesota that then spread into northeast Iowa. One rotating storm quickly intensified as it moved through Allamakee County, Iowa with a radar confirmed tornado developing about 5 miles east of Waukon.

This tornado continued to the east-southeast, crossing the Mississippi River into Crawford County, Wisconsin and producing damage up to EF2 magnitude. The tornado lifted just before reaching Boscobel, but a new tornado touched down about 4 miles ESE of Boscobel and continued east-southeast across northern Grant County into northwest Iowa County (NWS Milwaukee's area). This second tornado was rated EF1. Fortunately there were no reported injuries with either tornado.

06/18/2026

Here is some of the damages a tornado can cause to our community. I want to thank all the first responders that came out to help the community when this storm ripped through our county. Our law enforcement members (dispatch center and deputies), volunteer fire departments, township officers, utility companies, and highway department members stepped up when this storm came through and we cannot thank them enough!

06/17/2026

Anyone with structural damage to your residences in Crawford County from tonights storm please comment on this post so I can reach out to you.

05/19/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:05/19/2026
CONTACT:
Emergency Management Director Marc Myhre
608-326-0267
[email protected]

Click It or Ticket safety campaign reminds drivers and passengers to buckle up

Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin – The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office will join law enforcement agencies across the state and nation to promote seat belt use and remind drivers of the lifesaving benefits of buckling up. The Click It or Ticket seat belt safety campaign runs from May 18-31 this year.
Buckling up is a simple action drivers and passengers can do to stay safe on the road. Wearing a seat belt is one of the most effective ways to reduce injuries and save lives during a crash. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office will join officers throughout the state stepping up seat belt enforcement and education to prevent tragedies on our roads.
Seat belt use is one of the most effective ways to protect drivers and passengers from injury or death in a crash. In Wisconsin, preliminary numbers show 145 drivers and passengers who died in crashes in 2025 were not wearing a seat belt.
Wisconsin’s primary seat belt law allows law enforcement to stop and cite motorists for failing to wear a seat belt. Penalties are higher for transporting unrestrained children and passengers can also be cited. Failure to fasten a seat belt is among the most common traffic violations in Wisconsin.
Seat belts save lives, and everyone — including those in the front seat and back, child or adult — should make buckling up a habit. Traveling on the road without a seat belt is dangerous. We are asking friends and family to remind each other to buckle up and help us keep the roads safe.
The Click It or Ticket campaign coincides with the Memorial Day holiday weekend, which is the first long holiday weekend of summer. The roads are especially busy during this season, so officers will be out encouraging motorist to wear their seat belts.
For more information on Click It or Ticket, please visit nhtsa.gov/clickit.

05/09/2026

For any of our first responders in Crawford County. If you would like to be trained for swift water operations- talk with your chief and get permission to sign up. The department is only responsible for 10% of the cost of class and lodging for the multi day training. The other 90% is covered by a grant! Please let me know if you are interested.

🌊🚒 Regional Swiftwater Rescue Training Opportunity 🚑🛶

We are currently recruiting active Fire and EMS personnel from departments in Grant, Lafayette, Crawford, Richland, Vernon, and Iowa Counties to join our growing regional swiftwater rescue partnership. Our region operates one of the largest and best-equipped swiftwater rescue programs in the Midwest, and we are looking to expand our roster with motivated responders who are ready to train and serve.

📍 Upcoming Training Opportunity
A Swiftwater Rescue Technician course is scheduled on the Pike and Menominee Rivers near Iron Mountain, Michigan, June 6–9, 2026.

💰 Although there will be some costs to local departments, most training and lodging expenses will be covered through a regional Assistance to Firefighters Grant.

🌊 In recent years, numerous flood and water rescue incidents throughout the region have highlighted the importance of having local personnel trained and equipped to respond safely and effectively to swiftwater emergencies. This course provides critical hands-on skills and prepares responders for real-world rescue situations.

👨‍🚒👩‍🚒 Interested participants:
Please contact your Fire or EMS Chief.

📞 Fire and EMS Chiefs may contact Steve Braun for additional information about the training and how to become part of the regional partnership:

📧 [email protected]

📱 608-723-7171

04/29/2026

Our area may be looking at some sub 32 degrees tonight leading to frost or freeze hazard. If you have any vegetation outside, it may be time to move it indoors.

Low temperatures tonight are forecasted to be in the low to mid 30s with some locations along and north of I-94 getting down into the upper 20s. These low temperatures in combination with light winds and little cloud cover, will result in frost and freeze conditions are expected across portions of southeast Minnesota and western to central Wisconsin. Make sure to protect any sensitive vegetation!

04/28/2026

Last call for Virtual Weather Spotting Training. It is free and it can help expand your knowledge about storms and how they build and move through our communities.

🚨LAST CALL FOR NWS LA CROSSE SPOTTER TRAINING!🚨
📅Tuesday, April 28, 6-8pm

This is your last opportunity to join NWS La Crosse for 2026 local spotter training. Very apropos timing given our recent severe weather episodes! Learn what different storm cloud formations indicate, what weather hazards we need reported to us, and how to be a safe NWS storm spotter. 🌪🌩

We also welcome those who are apprehensive about severe weather and tornadoes in general. Sometimes just learning more about the thing you fear can be helpful, and this is a perfect opportunity!

We hope you will make plans to join us tomorrow evening. Pre-registration is required: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5123594896576476511 If attending as part of a group, only one person needs to register.

Can't make it tomorrow? Here are some other upcoming trainings with other NWS offices: https://www.weather.gov/crh/spottertalks?type=virtual

04/16/2026

Anyone else getting sick and tired of this severe weather we have been getting lately. With all these April showers we better be getting fields and fields of May Flowers. But the timeline for this next round of storms looks to land in our county on FRIDAY April 17th. Please make sure your storm preparedness kits are ready with the largest threats for this storm being damaging winds, large hail (really hail again???), heavy rains, and the possibility of a tornado. So be ready for anything Mother Nature might throw at you. Below you can see the post from NWS regarding this weather.

One more round of severe weather returns for Friday afternoon and evening before the pattern turns quiet for the weekend and early next week. Storms develop over southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin in the afternoon on Friday and move east into the evening. There is an increasing signal (20-40% chance) that storms could be more isolated earlier in the afternoon before evolving into a line later in the evening. If this scenario occurs, the threat for large hail (2-3” diameter) and multiple tornadoes (EF1-EF3) increases quickly. Stay weather aware tomorrow!

04/14/2026

I will continue sharing as these come out.

*** OUTDATED POST*** 4/14 2:38 PM - Strong to severe storms are starting to take shape across North Central Iowa and should expand east/northeast into Northeastern Iowa and South Central Wisconsin. Large hail and a few strong tornadoes will be possible with this initial activity. The highest risk for significant impacts will be across far southeastern portions of the Driftless Region. Stay safe out there