Significant Tornado Events

[locomusic01]

I am amazed at how many violent tornadoes that have occurred in Wisconsin. My dad retired to central "Wisky" and told me of the storms they had but it never clicked how much severe weather can occur in that part of our country.

There are a bunch of really interesting Wisconsin events, especially from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. One of my favorites is a pretty complex outbreak on July 3, 1907 that I really need to dig into deeper eventually. There were five significant tornadoes officially (w/three F4s), but that's probably an undercount. Several major tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously at some points.

The first tornado(es) tore a short-ish path through the Tioga and Neillsville areas, causing F4 damage:

The second F4 (probably a family) started southwest of the first and traveled nearly 60 miles, killing 11 people and causing violent damage near Hatfield, Oakdale and Elroy:

 

[locomusic01]

An F3 followed the previous tornado, striking near Elroy and Reedsburg, but I only have a couple random photos:

The third F4 was further east near Berlin and Fairwater, traveling ~15 miles and killing two people. Again, not a lot of photos from that one yet:

 

[locomusic01]

The September 21, 1924 Wisconsin outbreak is also worth mentioning; I think it's already been covered in this thread, but if not I'll add some stuff after I get done working.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

The September 21, 1924 Wisconsin outbreak is also worth mentioning; I think it's already been covered in this thread, but if not I'll add some stuff after I get done working.

It's not often you hear about September outbreaks....I know September 1894 had a long-track family in Wisconsin and Iowa and produced 63 fatalities, didn't know about a 1924 outbreak in that area. I'd like to find out more information about September 1928 and the September 1951 Great Lakes outbreak too.

 

[A Guy]

There are a bunch of really interesting Wisconsin events, especially from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. One of my favorites is a pretty complex outbreak on July 3, 1907 that I really need to dig into deeper eventually. There were five significant tornadoes officially (w/three F4s), but that's probably an undercount. Several major tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously at some points.

The first tornado(es) tore a short-ish path through the Tioga and Neillsville areas, causing F4 damage:

Another old tornado photo that looks like it's been the victim of rather heavy-handed retouching to 'improve' it. A pretty common thing in those days.

Thinking of recent tornado photos I've seen with mega-HDR (often creating an unrealistic green colour) etc. to make them more spectacular shows how little thinking's changed (you can say that about photography in general).

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Damage photographs the Old Kingston/Lake Martin tornado that occurred on January 12 of this year. This thing was given a rating of EF3 with highest wind speeds estimated at 150 mph:

Obliterated mobile home:



Extensive timber damage:




Pickup with cab torn out:






Yeah, EF3 lol.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

The second F4 (probably a family) started southwest of the first and traveled nearly 60 miles, killing 11 people and causing violent damage near Hatfield, Oakdale and Elroy

That Tomah/Oakdale/Wyeville area seems to be a localized hot spot. On May 22nd, 2011 (obviously massively overshadowed by Joplin) an EF2 with a 64.5 mile path passed through there. Then on June 15 of last year, another EF2 with a 22.8 mile path also passed through that area.

Too bad most of that area is heavily wooded and tough to chase, although it gets even worse the further north you go. To the south, the Driftless Area makes for very difficult terrain. Lots of hills in addition to the trees, and winding roads almost none of which take a direct path from somewhere to somewhere.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

It's not often you hear about September outbreaks....I know September 1894 had a long-track family in Wisconsin and Iowa and produced 63 fatalities, didn't know about a 1924 outbreak in that area. I'd like to find out more information about September 1928 and the September 1951 Great Lakes outbreak too.

More recently, on September 2nd, 2002 an F3 hit the city of Ladysmith in northern Wisconsin.

 

[atrainguy]

On the topic of notable WI tornadoes, the path through the forest in the Menominee Reservation from the June 7, 2007 tornado is still VERY clear (assuming Google Map's imagery is up to date). I'm trying to post screenshots, but I'm getting a "Oops, we ran into some problems" error message. From what I'm seeing online, it was rated EF3, was on the ground at least 40 miles, and was up to half a mile wide.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

On the topic of notable WI tornadoes, the path through the forest in the Menominee Reservation from the June 7, 2007 tornado is still VERY clear (assuming Google Map's imagery is up to date). I'm trying to post screenshots, but I'm getting a "Oops, we ran into some problems" error message. From what I'm seeing online, it was rated EF3, was on the ground at least 40 miles, and was up to half a mile wide.

FWIW, that was a high risk day. One of the very few around here in my adult life.

Look at the street view on Highway 55 just east of the Bear Paw Outdoor Adventure Center, you can see how all the trees look like they've been decapitated compared to areas outside the path.

I observed a similar phenomenon firsthand with the Stoughton path, although it's become steadily less obvious in the ensuing years (that tornado wasn't nearly as wide, its strongest damage was concentrated in pretty narrow streaks, also the woods aren't as dense in southern Wisconsin). Except for the very worst spots, you really have to be someone like me who was living in the area at the time and knows exactly where to look to notice it now.

 

[MNTornadoGuy]

Damage photographs the Old Kingston/Lake Martin tornado that occurred on January 12 of this year. This thing was given a rating of EF3 with highest wind speeds estimated at 150 mph:

Obliterated mobile home:

View attachment 17356

Extensive timber damage:

View attachment 17359


Pickup with cab torn out:

View attachment 17357


View attachment 17358

Yeah, EF3 lol.

I think an EF3 rating was the right call in this case. It only hit either poorly-anchored structures or mobile homes at peak intensity.

 

[atrainguy]

FWIW, that was a high risk day. One of the very few around here in my adult life.

Look at the street view on Highway 55 just east of the Bear Paw Outdoor Adventure Center, you can see how all the trees look like they've been decapitated compared to areas outside the path.

I observed a similar phenomenon firsthand with the Stoughton path, although it's become steadily less obvious in the ensuing years (that tornado wasn't nearly as wide, its strongest damage was concentrated in pretty narrow streaks, also the woods aren't as dense in southern Wisconsin). Except for the very worst spots, you really have to be someone like me who was living in the area at the time and knows exactly where to look to notice it now.

Yeah it's pretty intense. I think Highway 64, with newer Street View imagery from 2018, is pretty impressive too. Lots of decapitated tree trunks and it's even more wide open still.

Also, I might be seeing things, but from high up I think I might see a faint scar just east to northeast of Cedarville. Looking at the maps of that outbreak, there was an shorter lived EF1 right around there that was part of the same family.

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

Yeah it's pretty intense. I think Highway 64, with newer Street View imagery from 2018, is pretty impressive too. Lots of decapitated tree trunks and it's even more wide open still.

Also, I might be seeing things, but from high up I think I might see a faint scar just east to northeast of Cedarville. Looking at the maps of that outbreak, there was an shorter lived EF1 right around there that was part of the same family.

No love for Wales 1984?

EDIT: FML I was thinking of Cooperstown 10 years later. Eh both of them are overlooked. West Bend too, and possibly Oakfield and at a stretch even Barneveld.

 

[TH2002]

Damage photographs the Old Kingston/Lake Martin tornado that occurred on January 12 of this year. This thing was given a rating of EF3 with highest wind speeds estimated at 150 mph:

Obliterated mobile home:

View attachment 17356

Extensive timber damage:

View attachment 17359


Pickup with cab torn out:

View attachment 17357


View attachment 17358

Yeah, EF3 lol.

I think an EF3 rating was the right call in this case. It only hit either poorly-anchored structures or mobile homes at peak intensity.

Kingston’s rating is fine going 'by the book' of the EF scale, which, as everyone knows, puts too much emphasis on the type of structures a tornado hits versus its actual intensity.

With that said, HE EF3 wouldn't have been unreasonable for this particular tornado but either way, I'd say there's just enough contextual support for LE EF4. I'd point to Andover 2022 as being similar in intensity tbh.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Kingston’s rating is fine going 'by the book' of the EF scale, which, as everyone knows, puts too much emphasis on the type of structures a tornado hits versus its actual intensity.

With that said, HE EF3 wouldn't have been unreasonable for this particular tornado but either way, I'd say there's just enough contextual support for LE EF4. I'd point to Andover 2022 as being similar in intensity tbh.

At this point the scale is becoming unrealistic in many ways; some other tornadoes from this outbreak and some outbreaks were given rating of high-end EF2 and low-end EF3 when they swept away entire two-story homes. It's getting ridiculous. I think high-end EF3 is becoming a replacement for high-end EF4 and pretty soon EF3 might get replaced with high-end EF2 lol.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

Kingston’s rating is fine going 'by the book' of the EF scale, which, as everyone knows, puts too much emphasis on the type of structures a tornado hits versus its actual intensity.

With that said, HE EF3 wouldn't have been unreasonable for this particular tornado but either way, I'd say there's just enough contextual support for LE EF4. I'd point to Andover 2022 as being similar in intensity tbh.

Again, the big problem is consistency. Some offices are rating solely "by the book," others take contextual cues into consideration. Sometimes it even seems to vary among the same office from outbreak to outbreak.

 

[TH2002]

That Tomah/Oakdale/Wyeville area seems to be a localized hot spot. On May 22nd, 2011 (obviously massively overshadowed by Joplin) an EF2 with a 64.5 mile path passed through there. Then on June 15 of last year, another EF2 with a 22.8 mile path also passed through that area.

I didn't think there was any footage of this tornado due to its apparent rain-wrapped nature; I've also searched previously and didn't find anything, but that was BEFORE I added some YouTube filters to uBlock Origin. Low and behold, I found this today; points for the incredible commentary:

 

[CheeselandSkies]

I didn't think there was any footage of this tornado due to its apparent rain-wrapped nature; I've also searched previously and didn't find anything, but that was BEFORE I added some YouTube filters to uBlock Origin. Low and behold, I found this today; points for the incredible commentary:

Amazing find! I would have just assumed there was no footage of it, either.

That was taken in the small patch of decently flat and open terrain right in the heart of the state, roughly from Westfield up to Plover about 10 miles either side of I-39. As you can see it's not bad if you can catch a storm there, but it's a small window to work with especially if you're dealing with a fast-moving tornadic supercell.

 

[tornado examiner]

When it comes to the old Kingston tornado they did directly state in the summary that it was likely stronger then what was rated. So they get credit for acknowledging that the tornado seems under rated. And also nws Birmingham has very good survey teams. It’s as honest as a rating and survey can get and again points out problems with the scale.

They could have used contextual damage to upgrade the tornado…but they don’t seem to do that for any tornado unless there’s supporting structure damage in the area with the contextual damage. As in, a slabbed well contructed anchored site built home

 

[locomusic01]

It's not often you hear about September outbreaks....I know September 1894 had a long-track family in Wisconsin and Iowa and produced 63 fatalities, didn't know about a 1924 outbreak in that area. I'd like to find out more information about September 1928 and the September 1951 Great Lakes outbreak too.

Whoops, totally forgot about this. I was gonna write something up on it but I'm too tired now, so here's what I've got from the 9/21/1924 event (primarily the Withee-Thorp, WI F4+):