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.
Read more about 1996 Oakfield Tornado: Tornado Table
Famous quotes containing the word tornado:
“The sumptuous age of stars and images is reduced to a few artificial tornado effects, pathetic fake buildings, and childish tricks which the crowd pretends to be taken in by to avoid feeling too disappointed. Ghost towns, ghost people. The whole place has the same air of obsolescence about it as Sunset or Hollywood Boulevard.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)