One Of Wisconsin's First February Tornadoes On Record Was Rated A "High End" EF-2

The National Weather Service has assessed the damage done by Wisconsin's first-ever February tornadoes on record. The strongest tornado had peak winds estimated at 130 mph. It was on the ground for over thirty minutes.

Evansville, Wisconsin Tornado.
Image of a rare February tornado that struck Evansville, Wisconsin. Courtesy of Kyle Warda.

The first February tornadoes on record for the state of Wisconsin struck the southern part of the state on February 8th. A survey team completed their assessment of two tornadoes that collectively had a path length of more than 34 miles. One of the tornadoes was nearly a half-mile wide. Remarkably, only one injury was reported from these twisters.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale, Or EF Scale, Was First Used To Assign Ratings To Tornadoes On February 1, 2007

The Original EF Scale Was Developed By Dr. Theodore “Ted” Fujita

Dr. Fujita was a Japanese American meteorologist who researched tornadoes at the University of Chicago.

A tornado's rating is based on the estimated wind speeds and damage the storm causes. On the low end of the scale, an EF 0 tornado has wind speeds of 65 to 85 mph. On the high end, an EF 5 tornado has wind speeds over 200 mph.

The stronger of the two hit the town of Evansville, about twenty miles south of the capital city of Madison.

This tornado was rated a “high end” EF-2 with maximum winds of 130 mph. It had a path length of 26.2 miles with a maximum width of 750 yards.

It was on the ground for 36 minutes. A motorist whose car was pushed into a ditch sustained the only injury from the storms that day. Considering the strength of the winds with this storm, it could have been a lot worse.

The second tornado that evening was rated an EF-1 with maximum winds of 110 mph. It had a path length of 8.35 miles with a maximum width of 50 yards.

Tornadoes In February Are Very Rare in The State of Wisconsin

Before this year, Wisconsin has never had a report of a tornado during the month of February. The Milwaukee/Sullivan National Weather Service office issued five tornado warnings during this event. Impressive shear, or a change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance, created an environment conducive to the development of rotating storms that can spawn tornadoes.

The damage toll has now exceeded $2.4 million. Most of the damage occurred in the towns of Porter and Fulton, where two homes were destroyed, and another 10 homes had major damage. There was also damage to silos, barns, and agricultural equipment that is not included in the damage estimate.

Rock County Emergency Management reports that 31 residences were impacted by the storms. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help those who suffered damage to their property.

As of February 17th, the Storm Prediction Center received 66 reports of tornadoes. Three of those tornadoes were rated EF-2, including the Evansville, Wisconsin twister.