Winneshiek County Emergency Management

08/21/2026

Winneshiek County Emergency Alert:

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued August 21 at 3:01AM CDT until August 21 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
SVRARX

The National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Northeastern Howard County in northeastern Iowa...
Northwestern Winneshiek County in northeastern Iowa...
Southern Fillmore County in southeastern Minnesota...

* Until 400 AM CDT.

* At 301 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Le Roy, or 16
miles northwest of Cresco, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage
to roofs, siding, and trees.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...
Lime Springs around 305 AM CDT.
Harmony around 325 AM CDT.
Canton around 330 AM CDT.
Mabel around 345 AM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Hesper,
York, Burr Oak, Locust, Chester, Granger, and Newburg.

08/19/2026

Emergency management is built on partnerships.

Every day, emergency managers work alongside law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, hospitals, schools, public health, utilities, volunteers, and many others.

Working together before disasters happen helps communities respond faster and recover stronger.

08/18/2026

FYI

City of Decorah
City of Spillville
City of Calmar
City of Ossian
City of Fort Atkinson, Iowa
Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office
Decorah Police Department

August 18 @ 2:50 PM - A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for portions of southeastern MN, northeastern IA, and western WI through 10 PM this evening. The primary hazards with any severe storms are large hail and damaging wind gusts. Heavy rainfall may also lead to localized flash flooding. Be prepared to take shelter if severe storms approach your location!

08/18/2026

Winneshiek County Emergency Alert:

Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued August 18 at 2:48PM CDT until August 18 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
595 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
AREAS

IN IOWA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES

IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA

FLOYD MITCHELL

IN NORTHEAST IOWA

ALLAMAKEE CHICKASAW CLAYTON
FAYETTE HOWARD WINNESHIEK

IN MINNESOTA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES

IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA

DODGE FILLMORE HOUSTON
MOWER OLMSTED WINONA

IN WISCONSIN THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES

IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN

ADAMS JUNEAU

IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN

CRAWFORD GRANT RICHLAND
VERNON

IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN

JACKSON LA CROSSE MONROE
TREMPEALEAU

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ARCADIA, AUSTIN, BLACK RIVER FALLS,
CALEDONIA, CHARLES CITY, CRESCO, DECORAH, DODGE CENTER, ELKADER,
FRIENDSHIP, LA CROSSE, MAUSTON, NEW HAMPTON, OELWEIN, OSAGE,
PLATTEVILLE, PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, PRESTON, RICHLAND CENTER,
ROCHESTER, SPARTA, TOMAH, VIROQUA, WAUKON, WHITEHALL, AND WINONA.
null

08/18/2026

FYI

The red shaded area is being monitored for a severe t-storm watch. Stay updated on the weather north of Highway 20 this afternoon.
Meteorologist Mark Schnackenberg

08/18/2026

As National Emergency Management Awareness Month continues, many people ask, "what is emergency management?"

Here is a good analogy.

Your Community's Emergency Coordinator

We help make sure the right people, information and resources come together when our community needs them most.

We don't replace firefighters, law enforcement, EMS, public works or other responders. We help connect them.

Before: We plan, prepare, train and build partnerships.

During: We coordinate information, resources and community needs.

After: We help our communities recover, rebuild and prepare for what's next.

Think of emergency management as the conductor of a very large orchestra. We may not play every instrument—but our job is helping everyone play from the same sheet of music.

08/14/2026

Did you know nearly every Iowa county has a local emergency management office?

Many are one-person departments, working around the clock to coordinate preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts.

They may work behind the scenes, but their impact is felt throughout the community every day.

08/11/2026

Winneshiek County Emergency Alert:

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued August 11 at 7:30AM CDT until August 11 at 8:15AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
SVRARX

The National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Western Allamakee County in northeastern Iowa...
Winneshiek County in northeastern Iowa...

* Until 815 AM CDT.

* At 730 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from Ridgeway to near Calmar to near Fort Atkinson,
moving northeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
Decorah, Waukon, Calmar, Ossian, Ridgeway, Castalia, Hanover,
County Roads A 52 And W 60, State Road 76 And County X 16, Festina,
Hesper, Nordness, Highlandville, Lake Meyer County Park, Quandahl,
Ludlow, Bluffton, County Road W 46 And Centennial Road, Locust, and
Sattre.

08/11/2026

Winneshiek County Emergency Alert:

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued August 11 at 7:07AM CDT until August 11 at 8:15AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
SVRARX

The National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Southern Howard County in northeastern Iowa...
Clayton County in northeastern Iowa...
Fayette County in northeastern Iowa...
Southwestern Allamakee County in northeastern Iowa...
Southern Winneshiek County in northeastern Iowa...
Chickasaw County in northeastern Iowa...

* Until 815 AM CDT.

* At 707 AM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from 8 miles northwest of Ionia to near Hawkeye to near
Oelwein, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage
to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
Oelwein, New Hampton, West Union, Elkader, Postville, Monona,
Fayette, Strawberry Point, Fairbank, Calmar, Edgewood, Ossian,
Riceville, Garnavillo, Elgin, Clermont, Elma, Maynard, Hawkeye, and
Lawler.