Severe Storms and Heavy Rain Hit Central and East-Central Wisconsin

Overview

Severe thunderstorms formed over western Wisconsin and quickly moved across the central and southern part of the state during the afternoon of August 28, 2018. High winds and flooding occurred with the strongest storms.

A brief tornado occurred north of Kiel which destroyed a barn. Numerous trees were uprooted or damaged in the city of New Holstein by 65 to 75 mph winds.

Most of the heavy rain in the NWS Green Bay service area fell during the afternoon and early evening of August 28 across the Fox Valley, including the city of Green Bay. Reports from weather observers indicated 2 to 4 inches of rain fell with the storms. Streets in Appleton were flooded with water up to the hoods of cars.

Tornado
Wind
Radar
Storm Reports

Tornado:

Calumet/Manitowoc Co Line

Date	August 28, 2018
Time (Local)	4:33 PM - 4:34 PM
EF Rating	1
Est. Peak Winds	90 mph
Path Length	0.9 mi
Max Width	75 yds
Injuries/Deaths	None
Summary: A brief tornado formed within an area of damaging straight line winds. The tornado heavily damaged a well-built barn and uprooted or damaged several trees.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Wind and Flooding Reports:

Numerous areas reported wind gusts over 50 mph with damage to trees and power lines. Significant flooding was reported in the Fox Valley, particularly in the Appleton area. The map below shows locations of reports from storm spotters and law enforcement as well as the warnings that were issued in the NWS Green Bay service area during the event.


Storm reports and warnings issued.	Three-day radar estimated rainfall--Aug 26-28.

Radar:


Radar reflectivity and velocity just before 4:30 PM

Preliminary Storm Reports

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0228 PM     HAIL             STEPHENSVILLE           44.36N 88.58W 
08/28/2018  E0.25 INCH       OUTAGAMIE          WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT 

            HAIL SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN 1/4 INCH.

0305 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 W WAUTOMA             44.06N 89.30W 
08/28/2018                   WAUSHARA           WI   PUBLIC          

            TREE DOWN WEST OF WAUTOMA. ALSO PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR 
            REDGRANITE.

0341 PM     HEAVY RAIN       ASHWAUBENON             44.46N 88.08W 
08/28/2018  M1.44 INCH       BROWN              WI   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            IN THE LAST 1 HOUR.

0343 PM     HAIL             N OSHKOSH               44.01N 88.55W 
08/28/2018  M0.25 INCH       WINNEBAGO          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER 

            INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 41 AND 76.

0345 PM     FLOOD            GREEN BAY               44.51N 88.00W 
08/28/2018                   BROWN              WI   NWS EMPLOYEE    

            URBAN FLOODING. ROADS COVERED BY 4-6 INCHES OF WATER.

0357 PM     TSTM WND GST     NEENAH                  44.18N 88.44W 
08/28/2018  M62.00 MPH       WINNEBAGO          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER 

0400 PM     TSTM WND GST     OSHKOSH                 44.01N 88.55W 
08/28/2018  M54.00 MPH       WINNEBAGO          WI   ASOS            

0403 PM     TSTM WND GST     APPLETON                44.26N 88.40W 
08/28/2018  M49.00 MPH       OUTAGAMIE          WI   AWOS            

0420 PM     HEAVY RAIN       APPLETON                44.26N 88.40W 
08/28/2018  M2.18 INCH       OUTAGAMIE          WI   PUBLIC          

            RAINFALL TOTAL THIS AFTERNOON. MINOR STREET FLOODING AND 
            LOW-LYING AREAS.

0425 PM     FLOOD            NEENAH                  44.18N 88.44W 
08/28/2018                   WINNEBAGO          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER 

            6-8 INCHES OF STANDING WATER ON ROADS. COUPLE CARS 
            STRANDED.

0430 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NEW HOLSTEIN            43.95N 88.08W 
08/28/2018                   CALUMET            WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT 

            LOTS OF TREES DOWN IN NEW HOLSTEIN. DELAYED REPORT BY LAW
            ENFORCEMENT. ESTIMATED TIME FROM PREVIOUS REPORT OF 
            MESONET GUST.


0430 PM     TSTM WND GST     NEW HOLSTEIN            43.95N 88.08W 
08/28/2018  M60.00 MPH       CALUMET            WI   MESONET         

0433 PM     TORNADO          3 N KIEL                43.95N 88.02W 
08/28/2018                   MANITOWOC WI            NWS DAMAGE SURVEY 

            BARN DOWN NEAR HWY X AND 67. 

0435 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KIEL                    43.91N 88.03W 
08/28/2018                   MANITOWOC          WI   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN AROUND THE KIEL AREA.
            DELAYED REPORT TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

0435 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KIEL                    43.91N 88.03W 
08/28/2018                   MANITOWOC          WI   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN CITY.

0444 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 NW CLEVELAND          43.95N 87.83W 
08/28/2018                   MANITOWOC          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER 

            5 TREES DOWN ON POWERLINES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HWY X
            AND HWY 42. DELAYED REPORT. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

0444 PM     TSTM WND GST     4 E KIEL                43.91N 87.95W 
08/28/2018  E60.00 MPH       MANITOWOC          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER 

0446 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     SPRING VALLEY           43.94N 87.84W 
08/28/2018                   MANITOWOC          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER 

0446 PM     HEAVY RAIN       2 E GREEN BAY           44.51N 87.96W 
08/28/2018  M3.10 INCH       BROWN              WI   PUBLIC          

0447 PM     FLASH FLOOD      APPLETON                44.26N 88.40W 
08/28/2018                   OUTAGAMIE          WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT 

            ROADS IN APPLETON IMPASSIBLE DUE TO WATER. WATER IS UP TO
            THE HOODS OF CARS.

0452 PM     HEAVY RAIN       5 ESE MENASHA           44.17N 88.35W 
08/28/2018  M2.14 INCH       CALUMET            WI   TRAINED SPOTTER 

            SINCE 315PM

0454 PM     TSTM WND GST     NEWTON                  43.99N 87.73W 
08/28/2018  M62.00 MPH       MANITOWOC          WI   MESONET         

0516 PM     HEAVY RAIN       E GREEN BAY             44.51N 88.00W 
08/28/2018  M3.90 INCH       BROWN              WI   NWS EMPLOYEE    

            24 HOUR TOTAL. SINCE 2 PM 3.46 INCHES.

0534 PM     FLOOD            WAUTOMA                 44.06N 89.28W 
08/28/2018                   WAUSHARA           WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT 

            LOTS OF ROADWAYS COVERED IN WATER.

0543 PM     FLOOD            2 SE GREEN BAY          44.49N 87.97W 
08/28/2018                   BROWN              WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT 

            AREA ROADWAYS STILL FLOODED, ESPECIALLY ON MAIN STREET 
            FROM MASON TO LIME KILN ROADS.

0600 PM     HEAVY RAIN       GREEN BAY               44.51N 88.00W 
08/28/2018  M3.63 INCH       BROWN              WI   NWS EMPLOYEE    

            EAST SIDE OF GREEN BAY. TOTAL FROM THIS AFTERNOON. 
            24-HOUR TOTAL OF 4.07. STREET FLOODING REPORTED THIS 
            AFTERNOON.

0620 PM     FLOOD            BRILLION                44.18N 88.06W 
08/28/2018                   CALUMET            WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT 

            AREA ROADWAYS STILL FLOODED.

0620 PM     FLOOD            HARRISON                44.13N 88.29W 
08/28/2018                   CALUMET            WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT 

            AREA ROADWAYS STILL FLOODED.

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