Fillmore County, MN Tornadoes

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A Look Back: Tornadoes of Memorial Day 2019

Tornadoes in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest & central Wisconsin
Background Information	Statistics (1850-Present)	Records (1850-Present)

Date			Time	Location	Other Counties Affected	Length (miles)	Width (yards)	Deaths**	Injuries**	EF-Scale
Month	Day	Year	Time	Location	Other Counties Affected	Length (miles)	Width (yards)	Deaths**	Injuries**	EF-Scale
5	27	2019	1249-1258 CST	Lime Springs 3.5NNE to Greenleafton 0.4E	Howard (IA)	6.19	30	0	0	EF0
			A tornado that developed just south of the Minnesota state line north of Lime Springs (this was the third tornado of the day in Howard County) moved into Fillmore County south of York and then moved north-northeast before dissipating near Greenleafton. A small barn and machine shed were destroyed and another sustained roof damage from the tornado. Another two farms also sustained some minor damage to buildings and a few homes sustained minor wind and tree damage. This tornado caused $202,000 in property damage. More on this tornado can be found at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/may2719â€‹
5	27	2019	1240-1241 CST	Wykoff 3.1WSW	None	0.19	25	0	0	EF0
			A tornado briefly touched down east of Spring Valley. A cattle barn was heavily damaged just north of County Highway 16. This tornado caused $20,000 in property damage. More on this tornado can be found at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/may2719â€‹
5	27	2019	1229-1230 CST	Etna 0.3NW to Etna 0.4NNW	None	0.21	15	0	0	EF0
			A tornado briefly touched down near Etna and uprooted some trees at a cemetery. This tornado caused $5,000 in property damage. More on this tornado can be found at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/may2719â€‹
5	27	2019	1223 -1224 CST	Etna 4.1SSW to Etna 3.9SSW	None	0.18	25	0	0	EF0
			A brief tornado touched down in rural southwest Fillmore County south of Ostrander. The tornado flipped a farm shed over a tree line. This tornado caused $15,000 in property damage. More on this tornado can be found at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/may2719â€‹
9	4	2018	2005-2012 CST	Hart 3.7SW to Hart 2.1NNW	Winona (MN)	5.14	50	0	0	EF1
			A NWS Storm Survey found that an EF-1 tornado that started in Fillmore County, entered Winona County southwest of Hart near County Highway 25. The tornado then traveled northeast across rural areas before ending along State Highway 43 between Hart and Interstate 90. The tornado had an intermittent damage path with only some minor damage to one home and some trees. This tornado caused $7,000 in property damage.
5	30	2018	1840-1843 CST	Bristol 2.8SSW to Bristol 2.5SSW	None	0.46	8	0	0	EF0
			A small, short-lived tornado touched down northwest of Granger and traveled northeast for about a half-mile. The tornado damaged a shed near the intersection of County Road 30 and 225th Avenue. This tornado caused $8,000 in property damage.
7	19	2017	1625-1628 CST	Preston Fllmre Arpt 2WNW to Preston Fillmore Arpt 1.2N	None	2.03	30	0	0	EF1
			An EF-1 tornado touched down southeast of Wykoff and produced intermittent damage as it moved east along County Road 117. Most of the damage was to trees and crops with one barn sustaining minor damage. This tornado caused $20,000 in property damage and $10,000 in crop damage. More on this tornado can be found at: https://www.weather.gov/arx/jul1917
5	22	2011	1333-1429 CST	Riceville 3.9NE (Howard County, IA) to Henrytown 2.5SW (Fillmore County, MN)	Howard (IA)	28.68	250 (Howard) 225 (Fillmore)	0	3	EF2
			This tornado first caused some damage about 3 miles north of State Highway 9 north of Riceville. The tornado almost immediately strengthened to EF1 as it moved northeast. Several farms had outbuildings destroyed, widespread tree damage occurred and several homes had partial or complete roof damage. As the tornado passed south of Chester, it increased to its maximum width and strength. The tornado remained at EF2 strength as it crossed the state line into Fillmore County Minnesota. The tornado passed through rural portions of the county affecting around a dozen farms with only three minor injuries occurring. Around 850 customers lost power as a result of the storms. Damages were estimated to be around $500 thousand in Howard County. Around 1:05 pm CST, this tornado moved into Fillmore County, west of Granger, and continued to track northeast until dissipating northeast of Harmony. The worst damage from this tornado occurred southwest and west of Harmony where two farm silos were damaged and roofs were taken off structures. Damages were estimated to be around $250 thousand in Fillmore County. Overall, the tornado traveled nearly 29 miles and produced $780,000 in damage. There were 3 injuries attributed to this tornado. A 'Tornado Emergency' was declared for Harmony but luckily the storm passed north of the town.
6	16	2004	1300-02 CST	Harmony 3NW	None	0.2	20	0	0	F0
			Brief touch down causing no damage.
6	11	2004	1730-32 CST	Spring Valley 4SW	None	0.2	20	0	0	F0
			Brief touch down causing no damage.
6	19	1997	2007 CST	Harmony 2NW	None	1	50	0	0	F0
			Brief touchdown with golf ball size hail.
6	8	1993	1307 CST	Spring Valley 10S	None	0.1	10	0	0	F0
			A tornado was reported 10 miles south of Spring Valley, while another was reported 18 miles southwest of Preston. These were likely the same tornado.
5	17	1982	1604-1620 CST	Frankford Township to Spring Valley	Mower	29	800	0	0	F2
			This tornado was first sighted in Frankford Township of Mower County where it damaged two farm sites. It moved northeast and was observed to the west of Spring Valley and again while crossing Highway 16.
7	14	1977	1800 CST	Wykoff	None	9	??	0	10	F2
			Three churches were severely damaged. A new residential area was hit, and at least one home was unroofed. Several barns collapsed, killing 23 head of cattle.
7	23	1973	2320 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F0
5	15	1968	1745 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F1
4	20	1968	1000 CST	?	None	?	?	0	0	F1
5	5	1965	2055-2104 CST	Le Roy to Chatfield	Mower	25	150	0	0	F2
			This tornado tracked northeast from near Le Roy (Mower County) and Ostrander to near Chatfield in Fillmore County. At least one barn was destroyed as 20 farms were damaged.
5	5	1965	1945-2124 CST	Nora Springs 2N (IA) to Yucatan (MN)	Floyd (IA) Houston Howard (IA) Mitchell (IA) Winneshiek (IA)	80	150	0	17	F4
			Moved east-northeast from 2 miles north of Nora Springs, passing 3 miles north of Cresco and lifting near Yucatan, MN. The only F4 damage was to two large farmhouses, 3 miles northwest of Kendallville in Winneshiek County. About 28 farms lost buildings in Iowa. Six people were injured in Minnesota, as homes and barns were destroyed near Canton, Lenora, and Newburg (Fillmore County). Six people were injured in Floyd County and 5 in Howard County.
5	10	1953	1715-1810 CST	Chester 5SW to Chatfield 4NE	Howard (IA) Olmsted	40	400	1	8	F4
			Eleven farms were heavily damaged in northern Iowa before this tornado crossed into Fillmore County. Twenty barns were damaged or destroyed in Minnesota and one man was killed as his barn was destroyed 1 mile southeast of Wykoff. A rural school was leveled 3 miles south of Chatfield as well. The only death occurred in Olmsted County. Six injuries occurred in Olmsted County and 2 injuries in Howard County.
6	16	1946	2022 CST	Grand Meadow 5N	Mower	8	170	0	0	F2
			This tornado tracked east-northeast across parts of Mower County and into extreme northwest Fillmore County. Five farms lost buildings. One small house was destroyed, a rural school was leveled, and at least two barns were destroyed causing $15,000 of damage.
4	30	1936	2000 CST	Fillmore 7S	None	1	100	0	0	F2
			All buildings on one farm were destroyed, except for a "huge farm house" which was stripped of shingles, shifted, and had every window broken. Damage estimates were $25,000.
7	27	1935	1715 CST	Chatfield 2S to Lewiston 3N	Olmsted Winona	20	??	0	8	F2
			This tornado moved northeast, accompanied by a five-mile-wide downburst. Every home was damaged at Utica (Winona Co.) and barns were swept away on at least 4 farms. Wind-related damage totaled $350,000, with flooding also causing damage.
6	6	1906	1630-1830 CST	Burr Oak, IA to Stoddard, WI to Coon Valley 10NE	Fillmore (MN), Houston (MN), La Crosse (WI), Vernon (WI), Winneshiek (IA)	55	400	4	18	F4
			"The tornado was flrst observed in northeastern Iowa at 430 pm, near Burr Oak. Passing east-northeast near Reno, MN, and Stoddard, WI where it crossed the Mississippi River at 5:40 pm. It was last observed at 6:30 pm in the town of Washington, La Crosse County, WI, about 2 miles west of Portland. Its path curved slightly to the northward as it progressed, and was about 55 miles in length. It destroyed all buildings in its path, killed 4 persons and injured 18. A mother and two children were killed as their farm near Freeburg, MN was leveled. One child was carried about half a mile. The other death occurred 2 miles east of Stoddard. The property loss was estimated at $70,000, exclusive of timber and crops, but the latter were not damaged to any great extent, because they were not far advanced. The tornado was characterized by many peculiar and violent phenomena usual to these storms. There was comparatively little electrical display, nor was the rainfall unusual. Its crossing the river near Stoddard was marked by well defined waterspout formation, and it destroyed a heavy wooden railway bridge across the Raccoon Creek nearby. Its action on the steep bluffs and in the deep ravines that mark the banks of the river was peculiar in that the windward or southwest exposures suffered far less damage, as shown by prostrated timber, than did the northeast slopes, where the full vorticular effect was very evident; whereas the southwest slopes, instead of showiug trees thrown in all directions, as is usual, showed trees, with few exceptions, thrown to the left across the entire breadth of the track. Many of the trees on these southwest slopes were broken off 10 to 15 feet above the ground. Another peculiar feature was the decreased violence on the top of the bluffs, which are here about 400 feet above the valley, and the immediate resumption of full destructive effect, not only in the deep ravines, but on the lee side of steepest declivities. Such destruction as occurred on the tops of steep hills crossed by the storm was most apparent on the farther edge, where trees invarlably were thrown in the direction of the storm, probably caused by the air rushing toward the vortex when it had resumed full violence at lower levels. The path of the storm averaged about 400 yards wide where its action could be determined in the timber. The vortex was quite distinct and regular, and, compared with the height of the bluffs which it crossed, seemed about 800 feet high, rapidly widening at the top. The vorticular motion was plainly discernible. Hail fell on the northwest side of the track. It took something less than 2 hours to travel its course." Source: Monthly Weather Review, Volume 34, Issue 6 (June 1906)
8	8	1905	1900 CST	Lanesboro 7NW	Winona	12	??	1	4	F2
			Moved east-northeast, damaging or destroying 6 homes in Pilot Mound Township in Fillmore County. This tornado tracked into Winona County before dissipating.
9	21	1894	2030 CST	Mason City (IA) 5NE to Spring Valley (MN)	Cerro Gordo (IA) Mitchell (IA) Mower	60	800	16	70	F4
			This tornado moved northeast from 5 miles northeast of Mason City, Iowa killing at least 3 people in northeast Cerro Gordo County. At least four people died in homes 4 miles northeast of Osage as 13 farmhouses wee destroyed in that county. At Leroy, Minnesota, damage totaled $120,000 as four people were killed and 80 buildings were damaged or destroyed including 35 homes. Entire farms were leveled southwest of Spring Vally. Ten homes were destroyed, five people killed and 35 injured in the northwest part of Spring Valley as losses there totaled $60,000.
6	4	1890	1530 CST	Chester (IA) Area	Howard (IA)	10	150	0	18	F3
			The tornado moved northeast from 6 miles south-southwest of Chester destroying a home and a school 3 miles south of Chester. A teacher and 10 students were injured at the school and one student lingered near death for days. Hogs were carried for up to 2 miles. Bedding from one home was found in trees about 2 miles from its foundation.
6	28	1865	?	Amherst/Holt Township Line	None	?	?	?	1	?
			It moved east along the Amherst/Holt Township line destroying four homes and damaging several others. The damage scene included "splinters, shingles, rails, and every conceivable article used about the farm or dwelling, together with shreds of torn garments, bed clothing, beds torn open and feathers filling the air like snowflakes. Chickens and turkeys stripped of their feathers and lying dead in every direction.
* The data in this table came from *Storm Data* and *Significant Tornadoes--1680-1991* by Thomas P. Grazulis. ** Injuries and Deaths are for the entire tornado track.

Last Updated Friday, April 24, 2020 - Jeff Boyne

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