Oakfield Wisconsin F5 Tornado - July 16 1996

1996 Oakfield tornado

The 1996 Oakfield Tornado is the name of an F5 tornado which destroyed Oakfield, Wisconsin on July 18, 1996.
In addition, strong thunderstorms brought heavy rains, lightning, and gusty winds to that region of Fond du Lac County.
All of these elements resulted from the passage of a cold front.

The violent tornado developed outside of town and moved southeastward across Wisconsin taking direct aim at Oakfield.
At 7:15 p.m. the large tornado struck the 1,012 person town, injuring 17 people but killing none.
Damage estimates totaled over $40 million as 47 of 327 homes were destroyed.
Also 56 homes as well as numerous businesses and churches suffered heavy damage.
A state of emergency was declared by Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson allowing National Guard soldiers to be called
in to aid victims and clear debris.

The tornado was strong enough to level the Friday Canning Company, while throwing up millions of empty cans and leaving
them sprawled over a 50 mile (80 km) radius. Besides structural damage to buildings the tornado was very costly to farmers;
Crops, livestock, and farm equipment were also gone.

The original National Weather Service report from Milwaukee/Sullivan categorized the tornado to be an F3 to F4 tornado on
the Fujita scale. It was later upgraded to an F5, the most severe tornado possible. It would be the only F5 tornado to hit
the United States that year.
The tornado width when it reached its maximum strength was about 100 yards (92m) wide, making it one of the narrowest F5's on record.
The tornado was documented by at least three experienced storm chasers.

There were eleven other tornadoes in Wisconsin from this storm complex, with one death at Marytown, Wisconsin.




Alto Ashford Auburn Brandon Byron Calumet Campbellsport Eden Eden Eldorado Empire Fairwater Fond du Lac doppler
Fond du Lac Forest Friendship Kewaskum Lamartine Marshfield Metomen Mount Calvary North Fond du Lac doppler radar
Oakfield Oakfield Osceola Ripon Ripon Rosendale Rosendale Springvale St. Cloud Taycheedah weather radar
Calumetville Dundee Garnet Johnsburg Malone Marytown New Fane Peebles Pipe St. Joe Taycheedah Van Dyne warning
Oakfield tornado Oakfield tornadoes Okjfield Severe weather 1996 july 18 1996 18jul96 071896 thunderstorm
Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Winnebago County Calumet County Appleton Brillion Chilton Kiel Menasha
New Holstein Hilbert Potter Sherwood Stockbridge Brillion Brothertown Charlestown Chilton Harrison New Holstein
Rantoul Stockbridge Woodville Brant Brothertown Calumetville Charlesburg Darboy Dundas Forest Junction Hayton
Jericho Kloten St. Anna St. John Sheboygan County Washington County Dodge County Green Lake County

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Tags:

• Oakfield
• Wisconsin
• f5
• tornado
• july
• 18
• 1996
• doppler
• radar

[Lessinath]

@TheMightykaz Yes, that's what happens. It's called a supercell thunderstorm. The majority of rotation is centered on the updraft (tornado and associated mesocyclone).

[xdarknick]

that was the day i was born

[TheMightykaz]

Was the entire storm rotating? Lol