Preliminary info on the April 28, 2025 Tornadoes

Preliminary Overview

A potent severe weather environment resulted in a swath of large hail up to 2.75" in diameter stretching from SE South Dakota up through southern Minnesota into west central Wisconsin. There were also a number of tornadoes, with two in southern Rice County in Minnesota (an EF-0 east of Morristown and an EF-1 between Faribault and Kenyon), and five tornadoes that impacted southern Eau Claire County in Wisconsin (three of which rated at EF-1 and two rated at EF-0).

***More details will be updated as we finalize the damage assessment***
 

Summary of the Rice County tornadoes:

1) An EF-0 tornado touched down at 5:38 p.m. 3 miles east of Morristown in southwestern Rice County.  Its path length was 0.48 miles and maximum width was 40 yards. The estimated maximum wind was 75 mph. An outbuilding lost its roof and wall panels. Several trees were damaged.

2) An EF-1 tornado touched down at 5:52 p.m. 8 miles east-southeast of Faribault.  Its path length was 3.27 miles and maximum width was 175 yards. The estimated maximum wind was 110 mph. A machine shed had collapsed walls and several of its anchors failed. Semi and tanker trailers were heavily damaged. A barn and several smaller buildings were destroyed and numerous trees were snapped or broken.

Photo east-southeast of Faribault.

Summary of the Eau Claire County tornadoes:

1) An EF-1 tornado touched down at 7:32 p.m. northeast of Mondovi in Buffalo County, near the golf course. It crossed into Eau Claire county before dissipating 7 miles southwest of Cleghorn. The path length was 5.42 miles and maximum width was 500 yards. The estimated maximum wind was 95 mph. It damaged roofs and windows and broke numerous trees.

2) An EF-1 touched down at 7:44 p.m. 2.5 miles south-southwest of Cleghorn. Its path length was 2.06 miles and maximum width was 100 yards.  The estimated maximum wind was 95 mph. Dissipation was about one mile west-southwest of Allen. A pole barn was destroyed and trees were uprooted or snapped.

3) An EF-0 touched down at 7:55 p.m. 2 miles north-northeast of Foster. Its path length was 0.79 miles and maximum width was 50 yards. The estimated maximum wind was 80 mph. Dissipation was 2.4 miles northeast of Foster. Several dozen trees were broken.

4) An EF-0 touched down at 8:07 p.m. 3 miles south-southeast Augusta. Its path length was 0.8 miles and maximum width was 25 yards. The estimated maximum wind was 80 mph. It dissipated 3.4 miles southeast of Augusta. Part of a barn roof was blown off. A number of trees were broken.

5) A final EF-1 touched down at 8:13 p.m. 4.7 miles north of Fairchild.  Its path length was 1.36 miles and maximum width was 75 yards.  The estimated maximum wind was 90 mph.  It dissipated 4.8 miles north of Fairchild, near the intersection of County Roads M and H, just before the county line with Clark County. It took part of the roof off an outbuilding and shingles were blown off some houses. Several hundred trees were broken.

A list of the latest storm reports will be updated as we finalize the damage assessment.