USA.com / Wisconsin / Jefferson County / Jefferson, WI / 53549 / Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
53549 Zip Code Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in 53549 Zip Code is about the same as Wisconsin average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in 53549 Zip Code is much higher than Wisconsin average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #77
| 53549 Zip Code | 0.01 |
| 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
| 53549 Zip Code | 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, #38
| 53549 Zip Code | 265.02 |
| 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 4,940 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of 53549 Zip Code 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: | 13 | Cold: | 49 | Dense Fog: | 98 | Drought: | 32 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 297 | Hail: | 1,148 | Heat: | 48 | Heavy Snow: | 87 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 17 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 66 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,282 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 4 | Winter Storm: | 98 | Winter Weather: | 39 |
| Other: | 662 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near 53549 Zip Code.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near 53549 Zip Code.
No historical earthquake events found in or near 53549 Zip Code.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 104 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near 53549 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 2.0 | 1981-06-15 | 2 | 42°53'N / 88°56'W | 43°03'N / 88°32'W | 23.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 6.4 | 1991-03-27 | 2 | 42°57'N / 88°59'W | 43°00'N / 88°48'W | 9.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 8.1 | 1986-09-28 | 2 | 42°52'N / 88°44'W | 42°55'N / 88°36'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 9.2 | 1965-04-11 | 2 | 43°02'N / 88°53'W | 43°12'N / 88°42'W | 14.50 Miles | 1320 Yards | 3 | 28 | 2.5M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 9.4 | 1980-06-05 | 3 | 43°08'N / 88°46'W | 43°04'N / 88°34'W | 10.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 9.6 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 42°59'N / 89°00'W | 43°03'N / 88°54'W | 6.00 Miles | 173 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 11.7 | 1961-09-22 | 2 | 42°48'N / 88°46'W | 42°50'N / 88°42'W | 3.30 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Walworth |
| 12.0 | 1980-06-05 | 3 | 43°04'N / 88°34'W | 43°03'N / 88°32'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Waukesha | ||
| 13.0 | 1980-06-05 | 2 | 43°12'N / 88°42'W | 43°07'N / 88°38'W | 6.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 14.0 | 1961-09-22 | 2 | 42°46'N / 88°50'W | 42°48'N / 88°46'W | 3.60 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Rock |
| 15.3 | 1980-06-06 | 2 | 42°49'N / 88°34'W | 0.30 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walworth | |
| 15.7 | 1981-06-15 | 2 | 43°03'N / 88°32'W | 43°05'N / 88°25'W | 5.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Waukesha |
| 16.3 | 1967-05-18 | 2 | 43°01'N / 88°30'W | 43°03'N / 88°24'W | 4.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Waukesha |
| 17.7 | 1955-04-18 | 2 | 42°45'N / 88°40'W | 42°45'N / 88°35'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Walworth |
| 17.9 | 1991-03-27 | 2 | 42°51'N / 89°13'W | 42°57'N / 88°59'W | 12.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 1 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Dane |
| 17.9 | 2010-06-21 | 2 | 42°52'N / 88°30'W | 42°52'N / 88°24'W | 5.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 15 | 20.6M | 0K | Waukesha |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF2 tornado developed about 1.9 miles west-southwest of the Village of Eagle, roughly 1/2 mile south-southeast of the intersection of STH 59 and CTH S, just west of a horse-riding ranch, and moved east-northeast through the Village and then moved due east before dissipating about 1.2 miles east-southeast of Jericho, just west of Beulah Road near the end of Valley Court Road. Fifteen people sustained minor injuries. One hundred thirty-four homes received minor damage, 67 homes had major damage, and 8 homes were destroyed, mainly in the southern part of the village. Another 75 homes were minimally affected. One business received major damage, while 18 businesses had minor damage. The business that received major damage was a commercial horse-riding ranch/western town at the beginning of the tornado path. Damage was inflicted upon all of the fencing, two trolleys, and 18 tables. One of the biggest buildings on the site was twisted and turned. A donkey was killed, four hayride wagons were lost, and 25 acres of trees were damaged. The owner of the riding ranch saw the tornado and said it looked like the Fourth of July fireworks finale - there were thousands of lightning streaks in the cone. All together, this tornado uprooted or damaged thousands of trees, and at least three dozen vehicles were damaged or totaled. At Old World Wisconsin, an outdoor museum operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society near Eagle, about 2500 tress were damaged at this site alone, and a few buildings sustained minor damage. Overall, Emergency Management officials estimated that residential damage reached $20,577,500, with business damage around $311,500, bringing total private sector damage to about $20,889,000. A few agricultural buildings were damaged, but loss estimates were not available. Public sector structural damage totaled only about $600, while public sector service costs (non-damage) such as debris clean-up, security and public protection, road protective measures, and other miscellaneous expenses were estimated at $101,965. The starting point location was Lat. 42.86785 Lon.-88.50307. The end point location was Lat.42.87100 Lon. -88.40003. The EF-rating was based on DI 2 (FR12) DOD 6 which suggests wind speeds between 125 to 130 mph. On the WSR-88D Doppler radar at the nearby WFO Milwaukee (MKX), a debris-ball appeared near Eagle within a classic hook echo as the parent thunderstorm moved east. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across much of south central and southeast Wisconsin during the evening of June 21, 2010. A vigorous upper level disturbance helped to support deep vertical motions in the atmosphere, along with strong deep layer wind shear. This lift acted on a warm and very moist atmosphere, carried into the region on a 40 to 50 knot low-level jet. The result was powerful rotating thunderstorms, with damaging straight line winds, large hail, and in this case, 5 tornadoes. At one point during the height of the event, around 48,000 customers in southeast Wisconsin were without electric power due to downed power lines. However, power-line and power-pole loss estimates were not available and do not show up as damage amounts in any individual event within this severe weather episode. | |||||||||||
| 18.3 | 1969-06-04 | 2 | 43°04'N / 89°10'W | 43°02'N / 89°04'W | 4.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dane |
| 19.5 | 1959-10-08 | 2 | 43°12'N / 88°31'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Waukesha | |
| 19.7 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 42°53'N / 89°18'W | 42°59'N / 89°00'W | 16.00 Miles | 173 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dane |
| 21.3 | 1966-05-23 | 2 | 43°12'N / 88°32'W | 43°15'N / 88°28'W | 4.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Dodge |
| 21.9 | 1970-10-09 | 2 | 42°43'N / 89°02'W | 42°51'N / 89°10'W | 11.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Rock |
| 22.8 | 1970-10-09 | 2 | 42°51'N / 89°10'W | 42°54'N / 89°13'W | 3.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dane |
| 23.2 | 1972-09-28 | 2 | 42°46'N / 88°25'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walworth | |
| 23.8 | 1981-06-15 | 2 | 43°05'N / 89°13'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dane | |
| 24.4 | 2005-08-18 | 3 | 42°55'N / 89°26'W | 42°56'N / 89°03'W | 17.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 1 | 23 | 34.3M | 750K | Dane |
| Brief Description: A strong and destructive tornado spun up at 1715CST about 2.8 miles southeast of the geographic center of Fitchburg (or 2.0 miles north of center of Oregon), about 400 yards southwest of the intersection of CTH MM and Schnieder Rd. It continued east-southeast to the southern edge of Lake Kegonsa and tore through residential neighborhoods about 1/3 to 1/2 mile north of CTH B (Civil Towns of Dunn and Pleasant Springs, and far-northern Stoughton). It moved over the crossing of CTH A with Interstate 90/39, and stayed close to CTH A to its exit point at 1905CST where CTH A crosses into Jefferson County, about 2.8 miles south-southwest of Rockdale. One person was crushed to death in their basement from fireplace and chimney bricks that crashed through the floor. Twenty-three (23) other people were directly injured. In addition, Emergency Management officials received reports of 2 other indirectly-related deaths associated with this strong tornado. In these two cases, the people were already very ill or suffering from a life-ending disease. Injuries they received during the tornado contributed (secondary) to their death, but were not the primary cause of death, based on medical examiner reports. Consequently, these additional two deaths do not appear in the official death tally in the header strip of this event. Numerous homes, businesses, farm buildings, vehicles, power-lines, trees, and other personal effects were either damaged or destroyed along its path that grew to a maximum width of about 600 yards north of Stoughton. As for residential structures, 220 sustained minor damage, 84 had major damage, and 69 were destroyed. As for business structures, 6 sustained minor damage, 1 had major damage, and 1 was destroyed. As for agricultural structures, 5 sustained minor damage, 5 had major damage, and 40 were destroyed. Total estimated damage amounts (directly-related) for private and public sectors combined was $35.06 M, broken down to $34.31 M in property damage and $750 K in crop losses, for the tornado segment in Dane County. This tornado was probably the 3rd most costly tornado in Wisconsin's recorded history (1996 Oakfield tornado and 1984 Barneveld tornadoes were more costly). The $34.31 M in property damage was broken down to private losses (total of 32.29 M) and public losses (total of $2.02 M), per Emergency Manager reports and NWS estimates. The private losses included a total of $25.45 M for residential structures, $1.29 M for businesses, $4.25 M for agricultural structures, $1.00 M for damage to vehicles, boats, and other personal effects, $200 K to agricultural machinery and tools, and $96 K in public road system damage. The public losses making up part of the $34.31 M consisted of $2.02 M in damage to public utility systems. The $750 K in damage attributed to crop losses occurred on an estimated 1,550 acres of land. Additional monetary costs incurred in the public sector (totaling $1.84 M) which are considered indirectly-related damage expenses, and not included in the "direct" totals listed in the header-strip of this event, include: $1.38 M in debris clearance, $308 K in protective measures, and miscellaneous damage/expenses of $144 K. Therefore, the grand total of direct and indirect damage amounts and expenses attributed to this tornado segment in Dane county totaled about $36.89 M. Just south of the tornado, extending out another mile or so, tree and power-line damage resulted from rear-flank downdraft damage - in some cases south to STH 51. This damage is separate from tornado damage, and isn't included in the numbers in previous sentences. Debris from this tornado was lofted by the parent's updraft and carried downstream to scattered locations in the counties of Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha. This tornado was extensively photographed and video-taped by storm spotters (amateur radio operators, etc.), storm chasers, and private citizens. On occasions, this tornado displayed multiple-vortex characteristics. Due to partial back-building (to the west-southwest) of the supercell's updraft tower, this tornado moved slowly, and was described by some eyewitnesses and spotters as being nearly stationary at times north of Stoughton. The overall slow movement (supercell moved at 12-17 knots, or 10-15 mph), coupled with structures that were not thoroughly reinforced (based on NWS damage survey), allowed the tornado's cyclonic winds to more severely damage buildings in its path. Consequently, although some of the worst damage resembled what would be left by a F4 tornado for well-built homes, this tornado was rated at the top of the F3 category with estimated winds near 174 knots (200 mph). The F3 category has estimated wind speeds of 137-179 knots (158-206 mph). A sampling of newspaper headlines and personal quotes included: "The Sky Just Exploded," "Hard to Believe There Weren't More Deaths," "New Technology Lowers Tornado Deaths," "Counting Losses, Blessings," "It Was Probably The Most Intense Storm In The Country This Year," "It's a Mess Out Here," and "I've Never Experienced Anything Like This." The tornado cut electrical power for 1700 customers in the Stoughton area. The estimated average path length was about 175 yards. M54PH 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. | |||||||||||
| 24.6 | 1984-04-27 | 4 | 42°59'N / 88°22'W | 43°05'N / 88°12'W | 6.50 Miles | 10 Yards | 1 | 14 | 2.5M | 0 | Waukesha |
| 25.6 | 1998-06-25 | 2 | 42°45'N / 89°11'W | 42°45'N / 89°08'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 845K | 3K | Rock |
| Brief Description: Severe thunderstorms packing winds between 60 and 70 mph and producing hail between 1 and 2 inches in diameter caused significant damage to property and crops. Kenosha and Racine counties experienced some of the worst destruction with 40,000 homes and businesses left without power due to the high number of trees and power lines downed. In the city of Racine a tree fell on a home and another tree crushed an automobile. In Kenosha county, siding was ripped off the side of a Bristol business and metal signs were blown down on Interstate 94. Hidden among the thunderstorms was a lone F2 tornado that took aim on northern Rock county, destroying 3 homes and damaging 4 others. A barn and 2 sheds were also destoyed. Three garages and 3 cars were damaged and a 20 foot beam was found anchored in the ground at a 45-degree angle in the storms aftermath. Fortunately there were no deaths or injuries. This tornado touched down just southwest of a railroad track 2.3 miles west/northwest of Leyden and lifted just east of Highway 184, 1 mile north/northeast of Leyden. Eyewitness reports suggest that this slow moving tornado had a second vortex at one time, and at another time it was nearly stationary for a couple minutes. The slow movement enhanced the destruction. At least 3 individuals video-taped it. Maximum winds were estimated to be about 150 mph. | |||||||||||
| 26.3 | 1963-06-08 | 2 | 43°21'N / 88°36'W | 43°19'N / 88°31'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dodge |
| 27.5 | 1966-03-21 | 2 | 42°36'N / 88°42'W | 42°40'N / 88°19'W | 19.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Walworth |
| 27.8 | 1975-06-04 | 3 | 43°14'N / 89°14'W | 43°14'N / 89°10'W | 2.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dane |
| 27.9 | 1967-06-11 | 2 | 43°11'N / 89°16'W | 43°12'N / 89°13'W | 1.30 Miles | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dane |
| 28.0 | 1977-06-05 | 3 | 43°20'N / 88°26'W | 43°12'N / 88°18'W | 11.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Washington |
| 28.6 | 1991-03-27 | 2 | 42°49'N / 89°22'W | 42°51'N / 89°13'W | 7.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Rock |
| 28.6 | 1967-01-24 | 3 | 42°36'N / 89°22'W | 42°45'N / 88°55'W | 24.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Green |
| 29.0 | 1977-06-05 | 3 | 43°12'N / 88°18'W | 42°55'N / 88°06'W | 21.80 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Waukesha |
| 29.2 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 42°48'N / 89°21'W | 42°51'N / 89°15'W | 5.00 Miles | 173 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Rock |
| 29.4 | 1980-04-07 | 2 | 43°21'N / 88°47'W | 43°28'N / 88°39'W | 10.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dodge |
| 30.0 | 1960-11-15 | 2 | 42°47'N / 89°20'W | 42°50'N / 89°17'W | 3.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Rock |
| 30.3 | 2000-06-01 | 2 | 43°24'N / 88°38'W | 43°22'N / 88°24'W | 14.90 Miles | 125 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.1M | 400K | Dodge |
| Brief Description: One would be hard pressed to find another day like June 1, 2000 in terms of depth and range of severe, convective weather events across south-central and southeast Wisconsin. Tornadoes, widespread and localized flash flooding, funnel clouds, damaging hurricane-force, straight-line winds associated with a wicked squall-line, large hail stones, urban/small flooding, lightning strikes, and significant mainstem river flooding were reported. As in the preceding weeks, a quasi-stationary front over northern Illinois served as a boundary for warm, moist, unstable air to be pulled north over the cooler air over Wisconsin. Leftover flooding (from the evening of May 31, 2000) and isolated severe thunderstorms were noted during the pre-dawn to mid morning hours. However a powerful squall-line formed along the Mississippi River in the La Crosse area by mid-afternoon, and pushed into south-central Wisconsin by late afternoon with "all hell breaking loose." After the squall line moved into the southeast part of the state, it was followed by widespread showers and thunderstorms that triggered additional flooding problems. The east/southeast moving storms would not end until around 2300CST. As a result of the wild weather events, a State of Emergency was declared in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Rock, and Sauk counties. Numerous power lines were knocked down by felled trees or wind gusts outright, resulting in the lose of power to 20,000 customers. Significant storm and flooding events will be summarized below county by county. Marquette Co: 6 homes were damaged and trees uprooted by powerful winds estimated at 70 knots (80 mph) in Briggsville. Urban flooding in Briggsville was also noted with water 6 inches deep. Green Lake Co: powerful winds knocked down trees in both Kingston and Markesan, and large hail was noted. Fond du Lac Co: a brief, F0 tornado spun up in the rural area southeast of Oak Center. Only some hay crop was damaged. Elsewhere, urban flooding and large hail was noted. Between 1700 and 1900CST, 1.71 inches of rain fell in the city of Fond du Lac. Sheboygan Co: powerful thunderstorm winds pushed over trees in the southern portions. Sauk Co: powerful winds blew over large trees in the Reedsburg to Baraboo area as well as around Prairie du Sac. Then the heavens oped up as 3.75 inches of rain fell between 1600 and 1645CST in North Freedom. There were other reports of up to 6 inches of rain falling in 2 hours. Flash flooding developed along Narrows Creek which left mud marks 8 feet high on some buildings. So much water came down Narrows Creek that it temporarily backed up the water of the Baraboo River! The Baraboo River flooded homes, and other creeks tore pieces of Highways 12 and 113 away. Road beds and parking lots were ripped away on the south side of Baraboo. Some railroad beds and many drainage culverts across the county were washed away. Severe erosion was noted on the cliffs overlooking the north shore of Devils Lake, whose water level rose about 3 feet due to runoff. All together, 153 residential homes were damaged, 17 businesses reported water damage, and 220,000 acres of farm land sustained water or erosion damage. The flooding was more widespread and worse than the 1993 flood, based on newspaper accounts. The Baraboo River near Baraboo crested at 22.04 feet on June 2nd, or 6.04 feet above flood stage (moderate flooding), after rising above flood stage at 0400CST on the 1st. Upriver at Rock Springs, the flood stage of 18.5 feet was exceeded at 1630CST on the 1st, and the crest was 21.71 feet at 0750CST on the 2nd (major flooding). Columbia Co: powerful winds uprooted large trees in and around Portage. In addition, a garage was damaged, several vehicles were blown into roadside ditches quickly reached a depth of 1 to 3 feet over portions of Highway 12 around Portage, and on Highway 73 in the southeast corner where residents were evacuated. Gravel road shoulder and culvert washouts were reported on some roads. Agricultural crop damage and soil erosion were also noted. Dodge Co: the main event was a long-lived tornado that spun up just south of Highway S about 4 miles south of Horicon, just southwest of the intersection of Highways S and E. Eyewitness accounts suggested that this tornado was a rain-wrapped and multi-vortex as it hopped-skipped east/southeast through the heart of the village of Iron Ridge (F2 at this time, 140-50 mph wind), before exiting the county on Highway S. All together, this F2 tornado destroyed 6 homes, and damaged 26 other homes, 6 businesses, 2 barns, 1 silo, semi-tractor trailer, a green house, and many cars. It destroyed 5 agricultural buildings. No one was injured or killed by this early-warned tornado. Five other barns were damaged in the county by the powerful straight-line winds associated with the squall-line. In addition, large hail up to walnut size was noted. Flash flooding was reported in the southeast part of the county when 1.5 inches of rain fell in a short period of time. Soil erosion and shoulder washouts were reported near the intersection of Highways 60 and P, south of Rubicon. Washington Co: the Dodge County tornado continued into Washington County for about 1.5 miles near and along Highway S. It damaged a barn and silo and uprooted more trees before dissipating. The tornado in this county had winds estimated at 80 mph, or F1 strength. No one was injured or killed. Flash flooding was reported south of Hartford where soil erosion and gravel shoulder washouts occurred due to swirling flood waters. Otherwise, large hail and tree-uprooting winds were noted in Germantown. Iowa Co: Pre-dawn flash flooding occurred across the northern portion of Iowa County due to leftover thunderstorms that hit the county on May 31st. Morrey Creek overflowed it banks in the village of Avoca, damaging 35 homes and eroding surrounding landscaping. In Dodge State Park near Dodgeville, 50 miles of trails were closed after several bridges were washed out by flooding waters. In addition, gravel road shoulder and culvert washouts were noted on several roads. Another round of flash flooding occurred across the northern portion of the county thanks to torrential rains of 2 to 4 inches in 1 to 2 hours in the late afternoon and early evening hours. An estimated 10,250 acres sustained major soil erosion and many roads had water depths of 1 to 3 feet as water currents washed away gravel shoulders. Crop damage was extensive. Dane Co: pre-dawn severe storms dumped large hail and knocked down many tree limbs in the Madison area. During the same storm, lightning struck a west-side Madison hotel, resulting in damage to its electrical system. Urban/small stream flooding was noted in the pre-dawn hours across the northern part of the county with water covering low spots on Highways 12, 73, and 113. A couple streets were flooded and closed in the village of Mazomanie due to high water levels on the Black Earth Creek. Sandbagging was needed to protect about a dozen homes in Mazomanie. Powerful thunderstorm winds uprooted trees which then damaged many vehicles in the Madison to Cottage Grove area during the evening. At least 60 trees blocked various roads in the Madison area, and 18 power lines were reported down. Roof tiles were also removed from some homes as the winds gusted to an estimated 70 knots (80 mph). An expensive gazebo was destroyed by uprooted trees in the city of Monona. Shortly thereafter, flash-flood producing rains hit much of the county. Madison streets were rivers as 27 cars were stranded or pushed around. It was the worst flooding the city during the past 15 years. Sandbagging commenced in Monona to protect homes. Many roads across the county were damaged by flood waters, with most damage in the northwest part of the county. In the village of Oregon, 1.90 inches of rain was measured in just 45 minutes ending at 1830CST. Additional soil erosion and ponding of water resulted in extensive, severe crop damage across the county. Collectively, wind and/or flood damage occurred to at least 646 residential homes in the county, and to 3 businesses. Probably 30,000 acres of farm land had significant crop damage. A new daily rainfall record of 3.46 inches was set at Madison's Traux Field, breaking the old record of 1.33 inches set back in 1892. Runoff from this rainfall eventually pushed Lake Mendota to 31.5 inches above its normal summer level on June 5th, which was the highest reading since the beginning of records in 1916. In response to the high lake levels in Dane county, many nearby homes were sandbagged, and public beach and boat docks were closed. Jefferson Co: an early morning, severe thunderstorm dumped large hail on Lake Mills. Another storm's lightning struck a Ft. Atkinson church steeple, resulting in structural and water damage. The evening storms generated damaging winds that uprooted large trees. Lightning started a minor fire on a Lake Mills home's roof. Heavy rains of 2 to 3 inches during the evening generated scattered flash flooding across the county, mostly in the form of gravel shoulder washouts of several roads. Roads near the Rock River in Ft. Atkinson were closed due to the swirling waters. Soil erosion and crop washouts were noted across the county. Rainfall totals of 2.39 inches and 2.72 inches were noted in Ft. Atkinson and Jefferson, respectively. The heavy rains forced the Crawfish River at Milford to exceed the flood stage of 7 feet on June 2nd , and crest at 8.38 feet on June 7th (moderate flooding). Waukesha Co: powerful thunderstorm winds uprooted trees in the Genesee area. Milwaukee Co: large hail was reported in the city of Milwaukee. Torrential rains of around 2 inches in 1 to 2 hours in the city of Fox Point resulted in flash flooding in that city. Landscaping damage and some road damage was noted due to swift water currents. Lafayette Co: a brief tornado occurred north of Calamine. It damaged 2 large pole sheds and uprooted many trees along its short path. Several calves were injured as they were pushed across the road. Eyewitness accounts suggest this F1 tornado (winds about 100 mph) was rain-wrapped. Otherwise, the squall line's powerful winds uprooted trees and over-turned a car-trailer combo east of Belmont. Similar to other counties, flash-flood producing rains followed the winds. Across the county, all mainstem river, stream, creeks, and other low spots experienced flash flooding. Bridge under-cutting was noted on Highway K outside of Gratiot, on Highway H in Jenkynsville, and Highway G in the northwest corner. Moderate to severe damage to road shoulders and washed out driveways was noted countywide. Twenty-one roads were closed at one time or another. At least 75 residential homes and 5 businesses reported flood damage, while 2 private utility buildings suffered damage. Two farm buildings were destroyed by the flood waters, and 15 others damaged. About 7000 acres of farm land were severely damaged. The Pecatonica River in Darlington closed down Highway 23 from the south. The river at this location exceeded the flood stage of 11 feet late on May 31st, and crested at 15.77 feet at 0730CST on June 1st (moderate flooding). Near South Wayne, lightning started a minor house fire. Green Co: pre-dawn and morning urban/small stream flooding occurred countywide due to rainfall that started on May 31st. The rains ended by sunrise. Up to 5 inches of rain fell overnight in the southwest part of the county. Many streams were 5 to 10 feet wide, resulting in water covering low-lying roads to a depth of 1 foot. Several cars were swept into roadside ditches. Urban basements had minor flood damage. Additional heavy rains followed the evening squall line which resulted in a new round of flash flooding across much of the county. Eight miles of the 24 mile long Sugar River State Trail were closed from near Monticello to near Albany due to washed out bridges and undercut paths. Five homes sustained significant damage. Numerous roads were closed due to high water levels and dozens of vehicles were stranded or pushed into roadside ditches. Gravel road shoulder and culvert washouts were noted countywide. Water levels in the city of Brodhead were the highest in many years. Legion Park in Albany was closed after the adjacent Sugar River exceeded flood stage. Moderate to severe soil erosion was noted to 5000 acres of farm fields. The Pecatonica River at Martintown exceeded the flood stage of 13.5 feet at 0000CST on June 1st, and crested at 18.51 feet on June 4th (moderate flooding). Rock Co: powerful thunderstorm winds downed large trees in scattered parts of the county. However, flash-flood producing rains hit during the evening hours. Most mainstem and nearly all streams and creeks jumped their banks. Nine roads along Lake Koshkonong sustained washout damage due to swift water currents. At least 100 homes outside of the major cities sustained damage. Many Beloit and Janesville homes in low spots reported landscape flood damage as well as basement flooding. Flash flood waters also tore through farm fields, leaving moderate to severe soil erosion and crop damage to at least 20,000 acres. Flood waters from the Sugar River in the southwest corner of the county closed roads west of the village of Avon. Walworth Co: no damage reports. Kenosha Co: several rounds of heavy rains during the evening on top of previously saturated soils and high river levels resulted in flash flooding scattered across the county. Several roads had fast-flowing waters 1 to 3 feet deep which resulted in shoulder washouts and cars being swept into roadside ditches. At least 75 homes sustained significant flood damage in the Wheatland, Salem, and Silver Lake areas. About 47,000 acres of farm land had serious soil erosion, and washed or flooded crops. Due to rainfall totals during the evening of 2 to 3 inches, the Fox River at New Munster continued to rise and would eventually crest at 12.76 feet early on June 3rd, or 2.76 feet above flood stage. Three homes Silver Lake homes were evacuated. | |||||||||||
| 30.5 | 1968-04-20 | 2 | 43°06'N / 89°21'W | 0.10 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dane | |
| 30.7 | 2010-07-22 | 2 | 42°51'N / 88°12'W | 42°52'N / 88°10'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Waukesha |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF2 tornado developed about 1 mile south of Big Bend, 1/8 mile west of of STH 164 between Henneberry Ave. and Kelsey Ave. The tornado partially uprooted trees, broke tree branches, caused corn crop damage and damaged a barn along a 1 mile path that averaged 70 yards in width. The tornado ended about 1.7 miles southeast of Big Bend, 1/3 mile east-northeast of the intersection of Crowbar Dr. and Parker Dr. The EF2 estimated wind speeds of 115 to 120 mph were based on DI 27(TH) DOD4. The exact start location is Lat 42.86466 and Lon -88.20040. The exact end location is Lat 42.86569 and Lon -88.18079. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stalled frontal boundary combined with a moist and unstable atmosphere and strong wind shear to produce numerous tornadoes and funnel clouds over South Central and Southeast Wisconsin. A series of vorticity maxima moving west to east through the western Great Lakes enhanced isentropic lift, as a strengthening southerly low-level jet interacted with a nearly stationary west to east warm front. | |||||||||||
| 32.1 | 1992-06-17 | 3 | 42°53'N / 89°32'W | 43°01'N / 89°16'W | 16.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 30 | 25.0M | 0 | Dane |
| 32.4 | 1957-04-19 | 2 | 42°39'N / 88°20'W | 42°39'N / 88°18'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walworth | ||
| 32.4 | 1977-04-02 | 2 | 43°04'N / 88°13'W | 43°04'N / 88°03'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Waukesha |
| 33.1 | 1991-03-27 | 2 | 42°50'N / 89°24'W | 42°49'N / 89°22'W | 4.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Green |
| 33.4 | 1984-06-08 | 2 | 43°26'N / 88°56'W | 43°30'N / 88°42'W | 11.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Dodge |
| 33.4 | 1984-06-08 | 2 | 43°17'N / 89°17'W | 43°28'N / 89°02'W | 15.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Columbia |
| 33.6 | 1984-06-08 | 2 | 43°15'N / 89°20'W | 43°17'N / 89°17'W | 3.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Dane |
| 33.6 | 1972-09-28 | 2 | 42°48'N / 88°09'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Racine | |
| 33.7 | 1971-11-01 | 2 | 42°31'N / 89°03'W | 42°33'N / 88°59'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Rock |
| 34.2 | 1957-04-19 | 2 | 42°39'N / 88°18'W | 42°39'N / 88°14'W | 2.70 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Racine |
| 34.6 | 1980-04-07 | 2 | 43°28'N / 88°57'W | 43°30'N / 88°43'W | 11.50 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 16 | 2.5M | 0 | Dodge |
| 35.3 | 1968-07-21 | 2 | 43°22'N / 88°18'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Washington | |
| 35.5 | 1967-08-02 | 3 | 43°08'N / 89°27'W | 43°07'N / 89°26'W | 2 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Dane | ||
| 35.7 | 1980-04-07 | 2 | 43°26'N / 88°27'W | 43°27'N / 88°25'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dodge | ||
| 35.9 | 1969-06-29 | 2 | 42°50'N / 88°12'W | 42°54'N / 87°57'W | 13.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Waukesha |
| 35.9 | 1980-04-07 | 3 | 43°29'N / 88°58'W | 1.20 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Dodge | |
| 36.4 | 1966-03-21 | 2 | 42°40'N / 88°19'W | 42°41'N / 88°03'W | 13.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Racine |
| 36.4 | 1977-06-05 | 3 | 43°39'N / 88°42'W | 43°20'N / 88°26'W | 25.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Dodge |
| 37.1 | 1978-06-17 | 2 | 43°30'N / 88°46'W | 43°31'N / 88°26'W | 16.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Dodge |
| 37.6 | 1955-04-18 | 2 | 42°53'N / 89°35'W | 42°51'N / 89°24'W | 9.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dane |
| 37.8 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 43°10'N / 89°20'W | 43°15'N / 89°34'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Dane |
| 37.8 | 1977-04-02 | 2 | 43°04'N / 88°03'W | 43°04'N / 88°00'W | 1.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Milwaukee |
| 38.1 | 1964-09-03 | 2 | 43°07'N / 88°02'W | 0.10 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Milwaukee | |
| 38.3 | 1980-04-07 | 2 | 43°27'N / 88°25'W | 43°27'N / 88°17'W | 6.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Washington |
| 38.4 | 1959-10-08 | 2 | 42°46'N / 88°04'W | 2.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Racine | |
| 38.5 | 2008-01-07 | 3 | 42°25'N / 88°42'W | 42°27'N / 88°36'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.0M | 0K | Mchenry |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down at 330 pm CST about 1.2 miles north of Popular Grove in Boone County and ended at 348 pm about 3.2 miles north northeast of Harvard in McHenry County. The tornado crossed the Boone McHenry County line near Hunter Road, about 2.1 miles west northwest of Chemung. The tornado crossed Hunter Road into McHenry County and continued to track northeast across Ryan Road as an EF0 and caused mainly minor tree damage. It crossed White Oaks Road then it uprooted a hardwood tree and snapped off pine trees at their base along Maxon Road. This damage continued to be EF0 damage with winds estimated to 80 mph. The tornado intensified as it moved toward the town of Lawrence, where it produced the worst damage in McHenry County. Significant damage occurred in the town of Lawrence, particularly at a house that had more than half of its roof ripped off and garage blown down. The tornado then moved across the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad where it blew 12 railroad freight cars of the track. The train was moving at the time the tornado hit it, so as the main engine stopped, the remaining cars on the track continued along it and slammed into the front part of the train. This caused a few more cars to derail, including one containing hazardous materials that caused the evacuation of the town of Lawrence. The damage in Lawrence was rated as EF2 with winds up to 110 mph. As the tornado moved east of Lawrence it once again started to weaken with some tree damage and shingles off of a few houses on the northeast side of town. It then ran along Oak Grove Road for a stretch where it produced EF1 damage with a hardwood tree snapped at its base and knocked over an old, weakly structured barn. The tornado headed across farm fields and headed for Highway 14 where it damaged a metal barn and sheared a few trees. As it crossed Highway 14, it flipped a semi-trailer and injured the driver at a truck stop weigh station. It continued across Oak Grove Road where it lifted. The maximum width of the tornado in McHenry County was around 50 yards. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Severe thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front across northern Illinois during the afternoon hours of January 7th. The storms moved southeast across east central Illinois during the early to mid evening hours. | |||||||||||
| 38.5 | 1976-07-30 | 2 | 43°14'N / 89°27'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Dane | |||
| 38.9 | 1984-06-08 | 2 | 43°20'N / 89°22'W | 43°27'N / 89°14'W | 16.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Columbia |
| 39.0 | 1954-07-30 | 2 | 43°19'N / 89°26'W | 43°29'N / 89°09'W | 18.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Pierce |
| 39.7 | 2008-01-07 | 3 | 42°33'N / 88°18'W | 42°36'N / 88°08'W | 9.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 15 | 13.7M | 0K | Kenosha |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado in western Kenosha County was a continuation of the tornado that spun up 2.27 mils NE of Pell Lake in southeastern Walworth County. It crossed into Kenosha County about 0.4 mile north of where CTH U in Walworth County crosses the county line and becomes CTH F in Walworth County. The tornado continued northeast to just east of the intersection of STH 50 and CTH O, crossed STH 83 just north of 51st Street just north of New Munster Creek, passed through the Village of Wheatland, turned more east and crossed 308th Ave. just north of Peterson Creek, and then dissipated near a pond between CTH PH and 41st Street (Town Rd). Fifteen people in the Civil Town of Wheatland sustained minor injuries. Also in the Civil Town of Wheatland, 7 homes were affected, 25 sustained minor damage, 27 had major damage, and 25 were destroyed. In the Civil Town of Brighton, 10 homes were affected, 3 had minor damage, 3 had major damage, and 4 were destroyed. About 160 people were homeless due to residential damage. This tornado traveled over frozen ponds and creeks, as well as snow piles leftover from recent snowmelt. Average path width was about 100 yards. The wind speed was estimated at 150 to 160 mph (DI 2 - FR12, DOD 8). For a couple homes, the visual damage suggested an EF4 rating, however insufficient anchoring allowed these structures to fail at a lower wind speed. Additionally, other nearby damage indicators didn't support an EF4 rating. The specific starting location in Kenosha County was 42.556342,-88.30533, and the ending location was 42.60061,-88.13524. For plotting purposes, here are a couple mid-point locations of this tornadoe's path: crossing of STH 83 - 42.59297, -88.22230, and the crossing of CTH B - 42.59756, -88.15928. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Very rare, mid-winter, severe storms affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on January 7th - in the form of two tornadoes and scattered, large, hailstones, and downburst winds. The last time a tornado occurred in January in Wisconsin was on the 24th in 1967 in Green and Rock Counties (25-mile track). On January 7th, a low pressure moved northeast through western Wisconsin, allowing a warm front to push through southern Wisconsin. Temperatures rose into the lower to mid 60s over southeast Wisconsin with surface dewpoints peaking in the mid to upper 50s, resulting in moderate amounts of instablity. Strong, veering winds from the surface to the jet stream level generated sufficient wind shear that supported rotating updrafts in scattered supercell thunderstorms over southeast Wisconsin. A supercell thunderstorm, that had spun up a tornado in northeastern Illinois previously, then crossed the state line into south-central Walworth County (southeast of the city of Walworth) where it intesified and eventually spun up a tornado near Pell Lake that traveled into western Kenosha County. Another supercell spun up a tornado over the northern reaches of the city of Kensoha. Other scattered thunderstorms on this day across south-central and southeast Wisconsin dumped large hail up to 3/4 inch in diameter. | |||||||||||
| 39.7 | 1958-08-07 | 2 | 43°07'N / 88°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Milwaukee | |
| 39.8 | 1980-08-04 | 2 | 43°10'N / 88°01'W | 0.10 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Milwaukee | |
| 40.2 | 1974-04-21 | 3 | 43°30'N / 88°45'W | 43°36'N / 88°24'W | 18.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Dodge |
| 40.4 | 2008-01-07 | 3 | 42°23'N / 88°49'W | 42°25'N / 88°42'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.0M | 0K | Boone |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down at 330 pm CST about 1.2 miles north of Popular Grove in Boone County and ended at 348 pm about 3.2 miles north northeast of Harvard in McHenry County. The tornado crossed the Boone McHenry County line near Hunter Road, about 3 miles northeast of Capron. The first signs of damage were at Quail Trap Road just east of Popular Grove Road where trees were damaged and sections of roofing were removed from a shed. The tornado intensified to EF2 intensity at Edwards Apple Orchard on Centerville Road. A large barn was destroyed and other buildings were severely damaged. Large trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado reached its maximum intensity of EF3 at the northeast corner of Centerville Road and Beaverton Road. A two story farm house and garage were leveled and large trees were stripped of all branches. The tornado was about 100 yards wide through this area. The tornado continued east northeast across Stimes Road and eventually crossed the Boone McHenry County line near Hunter Road. Most of the damage through this part of the tornado path was EF1, though it weakened to EF0 near the county line. There was damage to trees, power lines, barns and sheds. A few farm houses had shingles or small sections of roof damaged. Four injuries were reported. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Severe thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front across northern Illinois during the afternoon hours of January 7th. The storms moved southeast across east central Illinois during the early to mid evening hours. | |||||||||||
| 40.4 | 1962-07-22 | 2 | 43°00'N / 87°58'W | 0.10 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Milwaukee | |
| 40.4 | 1959-09-26 | 2 | 42°57'N / 87°58'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Milwaukee | |
| 40.9 | 1951-09-26 | 4 | 43°28'N / 89°15'W | 43°32'N / 89°05'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Columbia |
| 41.2 | 1975-08-25 | 2 | 42°59'N / 87°57'W | 0.20 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Milwaukee | |
| 41.6 | 2008-06-07 | 2 | 43°31'N / 89°15'W | 43°30'N / 89°06'W | 9.00 Miles | 3520 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 500K | Columbia |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado was extremely wide since the thunderstorm cloud base was very low and the meso-cyclone that is usually aloft was well-formed all the way to the ground. Within a broad 1 to 2 mile wide area of EF0 to EF1 damage, there were several small swaths of EF2 damage due to multiple votices. The accompanying graphic shows this effect. With respect to residential homes this tornado resulted in very minor damage to 150, minor damage to 30, major damage to 10, and 2 were destroyed (total residential damage of $2 million). With respect to agricultural buildings ($500K in total damage), this tornado resulted in minor damage to 20, and major damage to 2 buildings (inlcuding silos). Tens of thousands of trees were uprooted or chewed-up, and many power-lines and power-poles were either toppled or damaged. About 4000 to 6000 trees on a tree farm were destroyed at a location about 3 miles east-southeast of Pardeeville. This tree-farm loss was treated as a crop loss. Additionally, some corn and soybean crops were damaged. This tornado started just southeast of the intersection of CTH P and Pardeeville Road, and moved southeastward for about 4 miles and then traveled east-southeast to end just northeast of the western intersection of STH 146 and CTH A. The specific starting point and ending point lat/long numbers were 43.53333/-89.26306 and 43.49556/-89.09878, respectively. Additional mid-point pairs of number include: 43.51603/-8922394, 43.50728/-89.20151, and 43.50208/-89.17679. DI#24 (ELT), DOD4. The wind speeds were estimated at about 120 mph. Average path length was about 1760 yards (1 mile). EPISODE NARRATIVE: A slow-moving surface boundary, nearly parallel with the mid-level flow affected southern Wisconsin during the period of June 7th through June 9th. A strengthening low-level jet and strong moisture advection produced several rounds of thunderstorms during the period in the vicinity of this boundary. The atmosphere was very moist with precipitable water values around 2 inches. Low to mid-level wind flow supported training of flood-producing thunderstorms. There was sufficient vertical wind shear to allow for supercell development that resulted in 10 tornadoes spinning up in south-central and southeast Wisconsin on June 7th. A weak cool front pushed through southern Wisconsin late on the 8th/early on the 9th, finally ending the heavy rainfall. During the evening of June 7th, several roads near STH 89 south of Columbus were washed out. STH 16 east of Columbus closed on June 8th due to high waters. A state-of-emergency was declared in Milwaukee County the evening of June 7th due to widespread flash flooding, and Milwaukee Mitchell Field was close for several hours due to high water levels. | |||||||||||
| 42.0 | 1984-06-08 | 3 | 43°27'N / 89°14'W | 43°38'N / 88°58'W | 23.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Columbia |
| 42.1 | 1981-04-04 | 4 | 43°26'N / 88°12'W | 1.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 3 | 53 | 25.0M | 0 | Washington | |
| 42.1 | 2010-11-22 | 2 | 42°19'N / 88°58'W | 42°26'N / 88°39'W | 18.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 5.0M | 0K | Winnebago |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Based on an eyewitness report, a tornado touched in the backyard of a home just west of Interstate 39, on the eastern edge of a subdivision. The tornado then blew over a school bus near the intersection of Argyle and Harlem Roads. There were six people on the bus, the driver and five children. All six people were taken to the hospital but none of the injuries were serious. The tornado then knocked down eleven electrical high tension towers just southwest of the same intersection. The tornado continued northeast into western Boone county, and moved across largely open rural fields towards the town of Caledonia. Significant damage occured to at least six buildings in Caledonia, with approximately 20 additional buildings sustaining minor damage. Several large trees were snapped or uprooted and a grain bin was partially collapsed. The tornado then continued northeast from Caledonia, downing several power poles, and causing damage ranging from blown off roofs to completely destroying at least three farm outbuildings. One of these buildings, located 2 miles northwest of Capron, had also been damaged during the January 2008 tornado. The tornado path, consisting mainly of sporadic tree damage at this point, then continued to a location roughly one mile west of Lawrence, where the tornado appears to have dissipated at 325 pm. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across parts of northern Illinois during the afternoon hours of November 22nd. These storms produced two tornadoes, hail, heavy rain and some flooding. | |||||||||||
| 42.6 | 1958-10-08 | 2 | 42°25'N / 89°28'W | 42°25'N / 88°43'W | 38.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Stephenson |
| 42.7 | 1958-10-09 | 2 | 42°25'N / 88°43'W | 42°24'N / 88°12'W | 26.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Mchenry |
| 43.0 | 2004-06-23 | 3 | 43°38'N / 88°44'W | 43°33'N / 88°25'W | 16.70 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 8.0M | 500K | Dodge |
| Brief Description: This tornado was a continuation of the tornado that moved east-southeast from Markesan (Green Lake Co.) through the southwest corner of Fond du Lac County (civil Town of Alto). In Dodge County it maintained its F3 strength (175-200 mph) as it moved east-southeast through the city of Waupun and through rural areas of northern Dodge County to a point 2 miles southeast of Lomira, where it dissipated just west of U.S. Highway 41. Many homes and vehicles in the Dodge County portion of Waupun were damaged. Toward Lomira, several dozens of agricultural buildings and homes were damage. Numerous trees were uprooted from Waupun to near Lomira, and some crop damage was noted. Estimated damage in Waupun was about $3M, and $2.5M in the civil Towns of Lomira and Le Roy. Average path width was about 300 yards. Two rounds of severe weather affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on June 23rd, with the second round featuring 8 tornadoes, large hail (up to golf-ball size), and powerful straight-line downburst winds. A warm front moving north through the area resulted in favorable vertical wind shear to allow for supercell development. The 1st round of severe weather was due to a broken line of intense thunderstorms moving across Walworth, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties. Hail of up to 1 inch in diameter and torrential rainfall accompanied these storms before they moved over Lake Michigan and weakened. The 2nd round of severe weather was dominated by 2 cyclic supercells - one moved east/southeast through Marquette, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, and Washington Counties, spinning up 5 separate tornadoes, dumping hail stones up to 3 inches in diameter, and hurricane-force downburst winds. The large hail dented several vehicles. Two of these were rated F3. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. A more southerly supercell tracked across extreme southern Sauk County and then made a partial right turn and headed southeast through Dane County, spinning up 2 tornadoes in the process, as well as large hail and downburst winds. One powerful downburst wind in Madison (Dane Co.) blew equipment off the roof of a business at the Midvale Shopping Mall. A semi southwest of Ft. Atkinson was blown over by straight-line wind gusts. This southern supercell eventually spun up another tornado in south-central Jefferson County which moved into north-central Walworth County. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. Both supercells had downbursts that generated large hail and powerful, hurricane-force winds north and south of their tracks. Over all of Wisconsin, 16 tornadoes were documented on June 23rd, which is the 4th highest single-day total (record is 24 on May 8, 1988). For south-central and southeast Wisconsin, the 8 tornadoes on June 23rd was tied for the 4th highest single-day total (record is 11 on May 8, 1988). | |||||||||||
| 43.1 | 1985-05-30 | 2 | 42°55'N / 89°49'W | 42°57'N / 89°25'W | 21.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dane |
| 43.9 | 1954-07-30 | 2 | 43°19'N / 89°35'W | 43°19'N / 89°26'W | 7.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Columbia |
| 44.5 | 1974-04-21 | 3 | 43°33'N / 88°45'W | 43°40'N / 88°20'W | 22.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Dodge |
| 44.8 | 2004-06-23 | 3 | 43°38'N / 88°51'W | 43°38'N / 88°44'W | 7.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 6.0M | 700K | Fond Du Lac |
| Brief Description: This tornado was a continuation of the tornado that moved through the southern part of the city of Markesan (Green Lake Co.). It entered Fond du Lac County just south of Lake Maria Road, about 4.7 miles SW of Alto. It moved east-southeast on a line toward Waupun at F3 strength (estimated 175-200 mph), and actually merged with the Lake Maria tornado that moved east out of extreme southeastern Green Lake County. The merger took place just east of a dogleg/bend of Oak Grove Rd., about 2.2 miles SSW of Alto. The civil Town of Alto reported that 19 residential homes had major damage and 1 was destroyed. One business had major damage. Fourteen farms were affected with a tally of 8 ag-buildings/homes with minor damage, 19 with major damage, and 16 destroyed. Crop damage was severe. Public sector damage (roads/bridges) was about $225K. In the city of Waupun (Fond du Lac side), 4 homes had major damage, and roughly 150 had minor roof/siding damage due to severe tree damage. Average path width was about 300 yards. Two rounds of severe weather affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on June 23rd, with the second round featuring 8 tornadoes, large hail (up to golf-ball size), and powerful straight-line downburst winds. A warm front moving north through the area resulted in favorable vertical wind shear to allow for supercell development. The 1st round of severe weather was due to a broken line of intense thunderstorms moving across Walworth, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties. Hail of up to 1 inch in diameter and torrential rainfall accompanied these storms before they moved over Lake Michigan and weakened. The 2nd round of severe weather was dominated by 2 cyclic supercells - one moved east/southeast through Marquette, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, and Washington Counties, spinning up 5 separate tornadoes, dumping hail stones up to 3 inches in diameter, and hurricane-force downburst winds. The large hail dented several vehicles. Two of these were rated F3. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. A more southerly supercell tracked across extreme southern Sauk County and then made a partial right turn and headed southeast through Dane County, spinning up 2 tornadoes in the process, as well as large hail and downburst winds. One powerful downburst wind in Madison (Dane Co.) blew equipment off the roof of a business at the Midvale Shopping Mall. A semi southwest of Ft. Atkinson was blown over by straight-line wind gusts. This southern supercell eventually spun up another tornado in south-central Jefferson County which moved into north-central Walworth County. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. Both supercells had downbursts that generated large hail and powerful, hurricane-force winds north and south of their tracks. Over all of Wisconsin, 16 tornadoes were documented on June 23rd, which is the 4th highest single-day total (record is 24 on May 8, 1988). For south-central and southeast Wisconsin, the 8 tornadoes on June 23rd was tied for the 4th highest single-day total (record is 11 on May 8, 1988). | |||||||||||
| 45.5 | 2004-06-23 | 3 | 43°38'N / 88°51'W | 43°39'N / 88°48'W | 3.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.6M | 300K | Fond Du Lac |
| Brief Description: This tornado was a continuation of the tornado that moved east from the Lake Maria area of extreme southeastern Green Lake County. It maintained its F3 strength (175-200 mph) and moved east along Marshview Rd, only to merge with the F3 tornado moving east/southeast out of the Markesan area of southeast Green Lake County. The merger took place just east of a dogleg/bend of Oak Grove Rd., about 2.2 miles SSW of Alto. The civil Town of Alto reported that 8 residential homes had major damage. Four farms were affected with a tally of 8 ag-buildings/homes with minor damage, 19 with major damage, and 16 destroyed. Crop damage was severe. Public sector damage (roads/bridges) was about $100K. Average path width was about 275 yards. Two rounds of severe weather affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on June 23rd, with the second round featuring 8 tornadoes, large hail (up to golf-ball size), and powerful straight-line downburst winds. A warm front moving north through the area resulted in favorable vertical wind shear to allow for supercell development. The 1st round of severe weather was due to a broken line of intense thunderstorms moving across Walworth, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties. Hail of up to 1 inch in diameter and torrential rainfall accompanied these storms before they moved over Lake Michigan and weakened. The 2nd round of severe weather was dominated by 2 cyclic supercells - one moved east/southeast through Marquette, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, and Washington Counties, spinning up 5 separate tornadoes, dumping hail stones up to 3 inches in diameter, and hurricane-force downburst winds. The large hail dented several vehicles. Two of these were rated F3. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. A more southerly supercell tracked across extreme southern Sauk County and then made a partial right turn and headed southeast through Dane County, spinning up 2 tornadoes in the process, as well as large hail and downburst winds. One powerful downburst wind in Madison (Dane Co.) blew equipment off the roof of a business at the Midvale Shopping Mall. A semi southwest of Ft. Atkinson was blown over by straight-line wind gusts. This southern supercell eventually spun up another tornado in south-central Jefferson County which moved into north-central Walworth County. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. Both supercells had downbursts that generated large hail and powerful, hurricane-force winds north and south of their tracks. Over all of Wisconsin, 16 tornadoes were documented on June 23rd, which is the 4th highest single-day total (record is 24 on May 8, 1988). For south-central and southeast Wisconsin, the 8 tornadoes on June 23rd was tied for the 4th highest single-day total (record is 11 on May 8, 1988). | |||||||||||
| 45.6 | 1951-06-19 | 2 | 43°37'N / 88°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 467 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dodge | |
| 46.9 | 1963-09-02 | 2 | 43°10'N / 89°53'W | 43°11'N / 89°26'W | 22.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Iowa |
| 47.1 | 2004-06-23 | 3 | 43°40'N / 88°57'W | 43°39'N / 88°53'W | 4.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 1 | 1 | 675K | 300K | Green Lake |
| Brief Description: A strong tornado spun up about a mile directly east of Lake Maria in southeastern Green Lake County, or about 4.2 miles SSE of Markesan, moved east along Sunny Drive with F3 strength (estimated 175-200), and exited Green Lake County along Mielke Rd., or about 6.8 miles SE of Markesan. Numerous trees were uprooted. At least 8 homes or ag-buildings had minor damage, at least 5 homes or ag-buildings had major damage, and at least 5 homes or ag-buildings were destroyed. Near the intersection of Sunny Drive and Pleasant Drive, two people and most basement items were "sucked" out of their home's basement while the home was being destroyed. The husband was found dead and his wife was critically injured. Average path width was about 275 yards. M53PH Two rounds of severe weather affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on June 23rd, with the second round featuring 8 tornadoes, large hail (up to golf-ball size), and powerful straight-line downburst winds. A warm front moving north through the area resulted in favorable vertical wind shear to allow for supercell development. The 1st round of severe weather was due to a broken line of intense thunderstorms moving across Walworth, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties. Hail of up to 1 inch in diameter and torrential rainfall accompanied these storms before they moved over Lake Michigan and weakened. The 2nd round of severe weather was dominated by 2 cyclic supercells - one moved east/southeast through Marquette, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, and Washington Counties, spinning up 5 separate tornadoes, dumping hail stones up to 3 inches in diameter, and hurricane-force downburst winds. The large hail dented several vehicles. Two of these were rated F3. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. A more southerly supercell tracked across extreme southern Sauk County and then made a partial right turn and headed southeast through Dane County, spinning up 2 tornadoes in the process, as well as large hail and downburst winds. One powerful downburst wind in Madison (Dane Co.) blew equipment off the roof of a business at the Midvale Shopping Mall. A semi southwest of Ft. Atkinson was blown over by straight-line wind gusts. This southern supercell eventually spun up another tornado in south-central Jefferson County which moved into north-central Walworth County. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. Both supercells had downbursts that generated large hail and powerful, hurricane-force winds north and south of their tracks. Over all of Wisconsin, 16 tornadoes were documented on June 23rd, which is the 4th highest single-day total (record is 24 on May 8, 1988). For south-central and southeast Wisconsin, the 8 tornadoes on June 23rd was tied for the 4th highest single-day total (record is 11 on May 8, 1988). | |||||||||||
| 47.2 | 1967-04-21 | 4 | 42°17'N / 88°42'W | 42°21'N / 88°26'W | 14.00 Miles | 1200 Yards | 0 | 40 | 25.0M | 0 | Mchenry |
| 47.9 | 1984-06-07 | 5 | 43°05'N / 89°50'W | 43°17'N / 89°31'W | 26.00 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Columbia |
| 48.1 | 1963-08-16 | 3 | 43°18'N / 89°43'W | 43°18'N / 89°31'W | 9.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 13 | 250K | 0 | Columbia |
| 48.1 | 1963-08-16 | 3 | 43°18'N / 89°43'W | 43°18'N / 89°31'W | 9.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 13 | 250K | 0 | Columbia |
| 48.1 | 1963-08-16 | 3 | 43°18'N / 89°43'W | 43°18'N / 89°31'W | 9.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 13 | 250K | 0 | Columbia |
| 48.3 | 1958-08-30 | 2 | 42°19'N / 89°03'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Winnebago | |||
| 48.6 | 1969-06-12 | 2 | 42°37'N / 89°35'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Green | |
| 48.8 | 2005-08-18 | 2 | 43°21'N / 89°41'W | 43°19'N / 89°32'W | 3.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10K | 10K | Columbia |
| Brief Description: This tornado was a continuation of the "Leland" F2 Sauk County tornado that passed through the Badger Ammunition Plant grounds. It crossed into Columbia County from Sauk County at 1655CST about 5.4 miles west of Okee, or 1.2 miles northwest of the intersection of Gastrow Road and STH 188. This tornado headed east-southeast for 3.4 miles, while weakening, and ended at 1703CST about 3.2 miles southeast of Okee, or 0.2 mile southeast of the intersection of CTH J and Occonor Road. Some tree, power-line, and crop damage was noted, resulting in a F1 damage rating in Columbia County. Average path width was about 125 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. | |||||||||||
| 48.8 | 1984-06-08 | 3 | 43°38'N / 88°58'W | 43°43'N / 88°59'W | 6.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Green Lake |
| 49.3 | 2004-06-23 | 3 | 43°43'N / 89°02'W | 43°39'N / 88°54'W | 9.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.4M | 500K | Green Lake |
| Brief Description: A strong tornado spun up near the intersection of STH 73 and CTH H, about 2 miles north of the village of Manchester. It increased its strength to F3 (estimated 175-200 mph) as it moved southeast across the southern part of the city of Markesan. Numerous trees were uprooted. At least 18 homes or ag-buildings had minor damage, at least 9 homes or ag-buildings had major damage, and at least 21 homes or ag-buildings were destroyed. This tornado exited Green Lake County at a point 6.4 miles southeast of Markesan, just south of Lake Maria Rd., and continued southeast through Fond du Lac County. The responsible supercell also spun up different tornadoes earlier in Adams and Marquette Counties. Newspaper headline: "A Day Like No Other." Average path width was about 350 yards. Two rounds of severe weather affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on June 23rd, with the second round featuring 8 tornadoes, large hail (up to golf-ball size), and powerful straight-line downburst winds. A warm front moving north through the area resulted in favorable vertical wind shear to allow for supercell development. The 1st round of severe weather was due to a broken line of intense thunderstorms moving across Walworth, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties. Hail of up to 1 inch in diameter and torrential rainfall accompanied these storms before they moved over Lake Michigan and weakened. The 2nd round of severe weather was dominated by 2 cyclic supercells - one moved east/southeast through Marquette, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, and Washington Counties, spinning up 5 separate tornadoes, dumping hail stones up to 3 inches in diameter, and hurricane-force downburst winds. The large hail dented several vehicles. Two of these were rated F3. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. A more southerly supercell tracked across extreme southern Sauk County and then made a partial right turn and headed southeast through Dane County, spinning up 2 tornadoes in the process, as well as large hail and downburst winds. One powerful downburst wind in Madison (Dane Co.) blew equipment off the roof of a business at the Midvale Shopping Mall. A semi southwest of Ft. Atkinson was blown over by straight-line wind gusts. This southern supercell eventually spun up another tornado in south-central Jefferson County which moved into north-central Walworth County. Refer to the individual tornado reports for more details. Both supercells had downbursts that generated large hail and powerful, hurricane-force winds north and south of their tracks. Over all of Wisconsin, 16 tornadoes were documented on June 23rd, which is the 4th highest single-day total (record is 24 on May 8, 1988). For south-central and southeast Wisconsin, the 8 tornadoes on June 23rd was tied for the 4th highest single-day total (record is 11 on May 8, 1988). | |||||||||||
* 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.