1996 Oakfield tornado outbreak

The 1996 Oakfield tornado outbreak was a small, but destructive outbreak of 12 tornadoes that struck Wisconsin on July 18, 1996. The worst event was an F5 tornado that severely damaged the village of Oakfield, Wisconsin.[2] The outbreak killed one person and injured 13.[1]

1996 Oakfield tornado outbreak
Chase photograph of the Oakfield tornado. (Courtesy Cailyn Lloyd)
TypeTornado Outbreak
DurationJuly 18, 1996
Tornadoes confirmed12
Max. rating1F5 tornado
Duration of tornado outbreak23 hours, 8 minutes[1]
Damage≥$40 million (1996 USD)
Casualties1 fatality, 13 injuries
Areas affectedWisconsin

1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
2Time from first tornado to last tornado

Meteorlogical Synopsis

Strong thunderstorms brought heavy rains, lightning, and gusty winds to the south east central region of Wisconsin. All of these elements resulted from the passage of a strong upper level disturbance over an extremely unstable airmass.[2]

Tornado table
Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 6 4 1 0 0 1 12
F# Location County State Time (UTC) Path length Max Width Damage
F1 SW of Tomahawk to W of Gilbert Lincoln WI 22:20-? 3 miles (4.8 km) 100 yards (91 m) Three cottages, one home and a tavern were damaged. A garage was removed from its foundation and two boats were flipped.[3]
F1 NE of Princeton Green Lake WI 23:15-? 2 miles (3.2 km) 125 yards (114 m) Damage was limited to trees.[4]
F2 S of Jericho to Marytown Calumet, Fond du Lac WI 00:05-? 6.4 miles (10.3 km) 200 yards (180 m) 1 death - North of Marytown a couple dozen barns, sheds and homes were damaged or destroyed. In Marytown a house trailer, three homes and a machine shed were destroyed. In rural Calumet County two barns, trees, crops were damaged and calf houses were thrown 1,000 feet (300 m). One person was injured.[5]
F5 Oakfield to N of Marblehead Fond du Lac WI 00:05-? 13.3 miles (21.4 km) 400 yards (370 m) See section on this tornado – Four homes were swept from their foundations, and automobiles were carried 400 feet (120 m) through the air and mangled beyond recognition. Some of the homes were anchor-bolted to their foundations, and rebar supports along the perimeter of one home were bent over at a 90-degree angle. A total of 60 homes, six businesses, a canning company, two churches, 18 barns, several and several sheds were destroyed while 150 homes and businesses were also damaged. 500 acres (2.0 km2) of crops were also wiped away with only 1-inch stubble left. Damage totals reached $39.5 million (1996 USD) and 12 people were injured. A weaker tornado also hit the area 20 minutes later.[6][7]
F0 Marytown Fond du Lac WI 00:07-? 1.2 miles (1.9 km) 75 yards (69 m) A second tornado struck Marytown, damaging farm crops.[8]
F0 S of Charlesburg Calumet WI 00:10-? 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 25 yards (23 m) Brief tornado flattened two wheat fields.[9]
F0 Oakfield Fond du Lac WI 00:25-? 0.6 miles (0.97 km) 50 yards (46 m) Second tornado moved through portions of the damage path of the F5 tornado, picking up debris from the ground but did not cause any additional structural damage.[10]
F0 NW of North Fond du Lac Fond du Lac WI 00:27-? 0.2 miles (0.32 km) 50 yards (46 m) A barn, machinery and crops were damaged or destroyed.[11]
F0 NE of Lomira Fond du Lac WI 00:55-? 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 50 yards (46 m) Brief tornado flattened portions of a corn field.[12]
F1 S of Beechwood Sheboygan WI 01:10-? 0.9 miles (1.4 km) 150 yards (140 m) Several homes and a few barns were damaged, along with crops.[13]
F1 Fredonia to Holy Cross to ESE of Decker Ozaukee WI 01:18-? 7.6 miles (12.2 km) 125 yards (114 m) Four barns, three machine sheds and a one-car garage were destroyed while six homes, a barn, three machine sheds and a garage were damaged. Several vehicles were also damaged or destroyed, as well as 500 acres (2.0 km2) of crops.[14]
F0 E of Knellsville Ozaukee WI 01:28-? 0.8 miles (1.3 km) 75 yards (69 m) This tornado spent most of its lifetime over Lake Michigan, causing little to no damage.[15]

Oakfield, Wisconsin
Oakfield, Wisconsin
F5 tornado
A home that was leveled and completely swept away by the Oakfield F5 tornado with severely bent anchor bolts and rebar supports visible. (Courtesy of NWS Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Max. rating1F5 tornado
Damage$39.5 million (1996 USD)
Casualties12 injuries
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

At 6:05 p.m., the tornado developed outside of town and moved eastward across Fond du Lac County, directly towards Oakfield. At 7:15 p.m. the violent tornado struck the village, injuring 12 people and causing $39.5 million (1996 USD) in damage.[6] Out of the 327 homes in Oakfield, 47 were destroyed, and an additional 56 homes, as well as numerous businesses and churches, suffered heavy damage. A state of emergency was declared by then-Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson allowing National Guard soldiers to be called in to aid victims and clear debris.

The tornado was strong enough to level the Friday Canning Company, sweeping up millions of empty cans and leaving them scattered over a 50 miles (80 km) radius. Crops, livestock, and farm equipment were also destroyed. The original National Weather Service report from Milwaukee/Sullivan categorized the tornado to be an F3 to F4 tornado on the Fujita scale. It was later upgraded to an F5, the most intense category tornado possible. It would be the only F5 tornado to hit the United States that year. The tornado was documented by at least three experienced storm chasers.[16]

See also

References
  1. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/1996/7/18/table
  2. "Tornado! The Oakfield, Wisconsin Case Study". University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  3. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.6
  4. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.7
  5. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.9
  6. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.8
  7. http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/oakfield/nwsoak.html
  8. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.10
  9. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.11
  10. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.12
  11. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.13
  12. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.14
  13. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.15
  14. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.16
  15. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960718.55.17
  16. Renee Geiser. "Wisconsin Tornado Outbreak of July 18, 1996: Formation of Tornadic Supercells. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
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