Tornadoes of 1996

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1996, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.

Tornadoes of 1996
The F5 Oakfield, Wisconsin tornado
TimespanJanuary - December 1996
Maximum rated tornadoF5 tornado
Tornadoes in U.S.1,173[1]
Damage (U.S.)$720 million
Fatalities (U.S.)26[2]
Fatalities (worldwide)>726

Synopsis

The 1996 tornado season saw fairly average numbers across the board, though fatalities were lower than average at just 26. There were a few notable outbreaks, but most were outside the main "tornado alley" of the midwestern United States. The July F5 tornado that struck Oakfield, Wisconsin was the first F5 tornado since 1992. And the first F5 Tornado in the state of Wisconsin since the 1984 Barneveld, Wisconsin Tornado.

Events

Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1996 in the United States.

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 743 313 94 20 2 1 1173

January

There were 35 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.

January 3

Nine people were injured by an F1 tornado in Miami, Florida.

February

There were 14 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.

March

There were 71 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.

March 6

Six people were killed in Alabama by two tornadoes. One F3 tornado killed four in Dallas County, while an F2 tornado killed two in Montgomery County.

April

There were 177 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.

April 14

An F4 tornado killed seven people in Stone and Izard Counties in Arkansas. The seven fatalities from this tornado were the most by one tornado in 1996. Among the fatalities were Quarterback Kurt Warner's In-Laws.

April 19–21
Main article: Tornado outbreak sequence of April 1996
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 54 33 19 11 0 0

A series of tornado outbreaks occurred over a three-day period in Mid-April across a large area of Eastern North America. It was the most notable outbreak of the year; the 19th was the most prolific tornado outbreak in Illinois history. Six people were killed in the outbreak, and 11 tornadoes were rated as high as F3.

33 tornadoes hit Illinois breaking the old record of 25 set on August 10, 1974. This outbreak can also be compared to the May 2004 tornado outbreak sequence as it was a very large, deep and vigorous system. The same system produced tornadoes in Ontario on the 20th, and destructive tornadoes also occurred in Arkansas and Texas on the 21st.

May

There were 235 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.

May 28
Main article: May 1996 Kentucky tornado outbreak

A small, but destructive outbreak of tornadoes occurred in Central and Northern Kentucky in Late-May. The tornadoes resulted in over $100 million in damages and one tornado was rated F4. Despite the damage, there were no fatalities.

June

There were 128 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.

June 24
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 4 4 1 0 0 0

Nine tornadoes touched down across the US with seven of them striking the Mid-Atlantic in a small outbreak. The strongest event was an F2 tornado that hit Sudley Springs, Centreville, Legato, and Fairfax, Virginia west of Washington D.C., injuring one.[3]

July

There were 202 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July.[4]

July 8
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 2 1 1 0 0 0

A rare F0 tornado touched down on Hans Lollik Island, Puerto Rico.[5] Elsewhere, an F2 tornado touched down in Winthrop, Maine (just outside Augusta), striking Northern Litchfield, but causing no deaths or injuries. It was one of only two significant tornadoes to hit the Augusta area.[6]

July 18
Main article: 1996 Oakfield tornado outbreak
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 6 4 1 0 0 1

An F5 tornado destroyed parts of Oakfield, Wisconsin. The violent tornado developed outside of town and moved southeastward, taking direct aim at Oakfield. At 7:15 p.m., the tornado struck the town, injuring 12 people but killing none. It would be the only F5 tornado to hit the United States that year. The tornado's maximum width was about 400 yards (370 m) wide, making it one of the narrowest F5 tornadoes on record. There were 11 other tornadoes in Wisconsin from this storm complex, with one death at Marytown.[7]

July 19
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 7 9 4 1 0 0

A band of slowly moving thunderstorms moved over Central Pennsylvania producing heavy rain and flooding, especially in the Altoona area where 700 homes were damaged. The storms also produced a family of tornadoes that moved through the area.

At 9:20 a.m. the first tornado, rated an F2, touched down 6 miles north of New Bethlehem in Clarion County. It tracked southeast into Jefferson County through Langville. The tornado lifted 1.5 miles west of Oliveburg. The tornado uprooted trees and rolled a mobile home, about a mile north of Truttsburg, damaged some homes, farms, and crops, and downed extensive swaths of trees along its path. It was on the ground for about 10 miles and averaged 100 yards in width.

At 9:45 am, just 5 minutes after the first tornado dissipated, a second F2 touched down 1.5 miles southeast of Punxsutawney. The tornado touched down in Jefferson County and traveled southeast into northeastern Indiana County northeast of Glen Campbell. In Jefferson county, damage was confined to trees.

The tornado then strengthened and began to cause even more severe damage just east of Rossiter Here, the tornado tore the roof off of a barn that a child, who was playing outside, had sought shelter in. Three of the four walls of the barn also collapsed. The child was not injured, but a horse that was inside the barn was sucked out and thrown 75 feet into a field. The tornado then traveled up a hill and significantly damaged one mobile home and destroyed a second after carrying it at least 75 yards across a road and smashing it against a row of trees. Three people inside the mobile home were injured, one critically. By this time, the tornado had reached its peak intensity of high-end F2. A nearby wood frame house was destroyed and dense areas of trees felled or snapped. About a dozen other homes sustained damaged in this area, 5 extensively. 30 pound cinder blocks from a garage were thrown approximately 300 yards up a nearby hill where a stronger suction vortex was noted.

The tornado then tracked into Clearfield County, causing tree damage. The tornado then crossed Five Points into Cambria County across Glendale Lake in Prince Gallitzin State Park before ending 2 miles east of Frugality near the Blair County border, about 30 miles from its starting point. The storm damaged several mobile homes and farms in Five Points, picked a boat out the water on Glendale Lake and felled many trees in the park. A herringbone tree pattern was noted along with suction vortex damage to crops.

Around 11:00 AM, another F2 tornado touched down 2 miles east of Colver in Cambria County and tracked 6 miles southeast before ending 1 mile west of Loretto. The path width was 100 yard wide. Two homes and a barn were destroyed, several roofs and a second barn were also damaged. A central suction vortex was visible in crop damage.

At about the same time the tornado mentioned above formed, an F1 tornado touched down 2 miles northeast of Altoona in Blair County on Brush Mountain. This tornado moved southeast, taking down a swath of trees and caused and causing minor damage to homes along a 1.5 mile path near Sickles Corner. The path width was up to .5 miles wide.

Several other tornadoes touched down across Pennsylvania, Maryland, and several other states later in the day. A total of 20 tornadoes touched down, injuring nine.[8][9]

August

There were 72 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.

September

There were 101 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.

October

There were 68 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.

October 26
Main article: Late-October 1996 tornado outbreak
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 8 13 5 0 0 0

An unusual tornadic event affected Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota. 26 tornadoes touched down, with five of them rated F2. It turned out to be a record breaking late-season tornado outbreak, although there were no fatalities.

November

There were 55 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November.

December

There were 15 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.

See also

References
  1. "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1996 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  2. "Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  3. "Tornado History Project: June 24, 1996". www.tornadohistoryproject.com.
  4. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/1996/7/table
  5. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/19960708.99.1
  6. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/Maine/Kennebec
  7. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/1996/7/18/table
  8. "Storm Data Publication | IPS | National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)". www.ncdc.noaa.gov.
  9. http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/1996/7/19/table
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