1996 Oakfield tornado outbreak

The 1996 Oakfield tornado outbreak was a severe weather event that occurred on July 18, 1996 in Wisconsin, United States, primarily affecting the village of Oakfield, Wisconsin.[2] The outbreak produced 12 tornadoes, with the most significant being an F5 tornado which caused severe damage to the village and the surrounding areas. No deaths were associated with the outbreak, with 17 injuries in total.[2]

1996 Oakfield tornado outbreak
Chase photograph of the Oakfield tornado. (Courtesy Cailyn Lloyd)
TypeTornado outbreak
DurationJuly 18, 1996
Highest winds
Tornadoes
confirmed		12
Max. rating1F5 tornado
Duration of
tornado outbreak2		3 hours, 8 minutes[1]
Fatalities0 fatalities, 17 injuries[2]
Damage≥$40 million (1996 USD)
Areas affectedWisconsin

1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
2Time from first tornado to last tornado

The F5 tornado touched down in the early evening and rapidly intensified as it moved east-northeast. The tornado had estimated peak winds of 265 mph (426 km/h)[3] and a path length of approximately 20 miles (32 km).[2] Destruction in Oakfield included leveling homes, sending vehicles airborne, bending steel rebar, and sweeping crop fields clean.[4]


Meteorological synopsis

Strong thunderstorms brought heavy rains, lightning, and gusty winds to the south east central region of Wisconsin. All of these elements resulted from the passage of a strong upper level disturbance over an extremely unstable airmass.[2]

Confirmed tornadoes
Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 6 4 1 0 0 1 12

July 18 event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, July 18, 1996[note 1]
F# Location County / Parish State Start Coord. Start Time (UTC) Path length Max width Summary
F1 SW of Tomahawk to W of Gilbert Lincoln WI 22:20 3 miles (4.8 km) 100 yards (91 m) Three cottages, one home and a tavern were damaged. A garage was removed from its foundation and two boats were flipped.[5]
F1 NE of Princeton Green Lake WI 23:15 2 miles (3.2 km) 125 yards (114 m) Damage was limited to trees.[6]
F2 S of Jericho to Marytown Calumet, Fond du Lac WI 00:05 6.4 miles (10.3 km) 200 yards (180 m) 1 death – North of Marytown a couple dozen barns, sheds and homes were damaged or destroyed. In Marytown a house trailer, three homes and a machine shed were destroyed. In rural Calumet County two barns, trees, crops were damaged and calf houses were thrown 1,000 feet (300 m). One person was injured.[7]
F5 Oakfield to N of Marblehead Fond du Lac WI 00:05 13.3 miles (21.4 km) 400 yards (370 m) Four homes were swept from their foundations, and automobiles were carried 400 feet (120 m) through the air and mangled beyond recognition. Some of the homes were anchor-bolted to their foundations, and rebar supports along the perimeter of one home were bent over at a 90-degree angle. The Friday Canning Company was also leveled, sweeping up millions of empty cans and leaving them scattered over a 50 miles (80 km) radius. Out of the 327 homes in Oakfield, 47 were destroyed, and an additional 56 homes, as well as numerous businesses and churches, suffered heavy damage. 500 acres (2.0 km2) of crops were also wiped away with only 1-inch stubble left. Damage totals reached $39.5 million (1996 USD) and 12 people were injured. 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 intense category tornado possible and the only F5 tornado to hit the United States that year. Collectively, a total of 60 homes, six businesses, a canning company, two churches, 18 barns, and several sheds were destroyed while 150 homes and businesses were also damaged.[8] The tornado was also documented by at least three experienced storm chasers.[9] A weaker tornado also hit the area 20 minutes later.[10]
F0 Marytown Fond du Lac WI 00:07 1.2 miles (1.9 km) 75 yards (69 m) A second tornado struck Marytown, damaging farm crops.[11]
F0 S of Charlesburg Calumet WI 00:10 0.1 miles (160 m) 25 yards (23 m) Brief tornado flattened two wheat fields.[12]
F0 Oakfield Fond du Lac WI 00:25 0.6 miles (0.97 km) 50 yards (46 m) Second tornado moved through portions of the damage path of the F5 tornado, picking up debris from the ground but did not cause any additional structural damage.[13]
F0 NW of North Fond du Lac Fond du Lac WI 00:27 0.2 miles (320 m) 50 yards (46 m) A barn, machinery and crops were damaged or destroyed.[14]
F0 NE of Lomira Fond du Lac WI 00:55 0.1 miles (160 m) 50 yards (46 m) Brief tornado flattened portions of a corn field.[15]
F1 S of Beechwood Sheboygan WI 01:10 0.9 miles (1.4 km) 150 yards (140 m) Several homes and a few barns were damaged, along with crops.[16]
F1 Fredonia to Holy Cross to ESE of Decker Ozaukee WI 01:18 7.6 miles (12.2 km) 125 yards (114 m) Four barns, three machine sheds and a one-car garage were destroyed while six homes, a barn, three machine sheds and a garage were damaged. Several vehicles were also damaged or destroyed, as well as 500 acres (2.0 km2) of crops.[17]
F0 E of Knellsville Ozaukee WI 01:28 0.8 miles (1.3 km) 75 yards (69 m) This tornado spent most of its lifetime over Lake Michigan, causing little to no damage.[18]

Aftermath
A home that was leveled and completely swept away by the Oakfield F5 tornado with severely bent anchor bolts and rebar supports visible. (Courtesy of NWS Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

A state of emergency was declared by then-Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson allowing National Guard soldiers to be called in to aid victims and clear debris.

See also

Notes
    1. All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.

    References
    1. "Tornado History Project: July 18, 1996". Archived from the original on 2012-03-27.
    2. "Tornado! The Oakfield, Wisconsin Case Study". University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
    3. "National Weather Service remembers Oakfield F5 tornado 25 years later". WBAY. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
    4. "Oakfield, Wisconsin Tornado Storm report".
    5. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.6". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    6. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.7". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    7. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.9". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    8. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.8". Archived from the original on 2010-10-15.
    9. Renee Geiser. "Wisconsin Tornado Outbreak of July 18, 1996: Formation of Tornadic Supercells. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
    10. "Oakfield, Wisconsin Tornado Storm report".
    11. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.10". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    12. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.11". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    13. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.12". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    14. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.13". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    15. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.14". Archived from the original on 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
    16. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.15". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    17. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.16". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
    18. "Tornado History Project: 19960718.55.17". Archived from the original on 2012-04-09.
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