Tornadoes in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest & central Wisconsin |
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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 | ||||||||
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/may2719​
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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/may2719​
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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/may2719​
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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/may2719​
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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.
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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.
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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
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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