UPDATE: 7:30 a.m. August 1: The number of tornadoes that touched down in Wisconsin late Wednesday and early Thursday morning is now up to 12.
The National Weather Service office in Milwaukee/Sullivan confirmed five more late Friday and Saturday. Four of them formed west of Madison in and near the communities of Cross Plains, Middleton and Verona. Top winds speeds for three of the tornadoes were around 94 miles-per-hour, ranking them a category EF1. The fourth tornado has been ranked an EF0.
Another tornado was confirmed north of the community of Farmington in Jefferson County. The EF0 twister with top wind speeds of 75 miles-per-hour was on the ground for less than a mile, and did cross I-94 east of Johnson Creek.
More information on all tornadoes and straight line winds can be found at the following links below:
NWS Office Milwaukee/Sullivan, NWS Office Green Bay, NWS Office Twin Cities
UPDATE 2:15 p.m. July 30: The National Weather Service has confirmed a seventh tornado struck Wisconsin during this week’s severe weather event. It formed southeast of New Richmond and traveled about six miles before dissipating north of Hammond. Top wind speeds were 95 miles-per-hour, ranking this a category EF1.
UPDATE 10:30 a.m. July 30: The National Weather Service has determined another tornado touched down several miles east of Wales. The EF0 rated twister was on the ground for about a mile, first on the ground around Highway 18 and Brandybrook Road. It then moved southeast before lifting just past County Highway DT. Maximum wind speed is still being determined.
This brings the total number of tornadoes in Wisconsin up to six.
ORIGINAL POST:
At least five tornadoes formed across Wisconsin as part of the severe weather event that took place across the state Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service offices in Milwaukee/Sullivan and Green Bay sent out storm survey teams to the hardest hit areas to determine what type of severe weather event cause the damage.
The first tornado took place around 8:40 p.m. several miles southeast of Merrill along the county line between Lincoln and Marathon in central Wisconsin. It was on the ground for four minutes and traveled 2.8 miles with a 150 yard width at its maximum size. It’s top wind speed was 90 miles-per-hour, ranking it as a category EF1.
The second tornado took place around 1:05 a.m. several miles southwest of Watertown in Jefferson County, with damage concentrated along Hilltop Road north of County Highway A. It was on the ground for just over 3 miles, with a maximum width of 100 yards. Peak wind gusts were 80 miles-per-hour, making it a category EF0.
The third tornado took place around 1:15 a.m. It began between Watertown and Concord, with the worst damage in the Concord area, before ending north of Dousman. This tornado was on the ground for 12.6 miles, with a maximum width of 200 yards. Peak wind gusts are estimated to be 105 miles-per-hour, ranking this a category EF1.
Random tornado damage surveyed today. Seems the wind from the tornado blew in the garage doors, lifted up that side of the house which caused the I beam to drop. #wiwx pic.twitter.com/C4aHzUDvxj
— Tim Halbach (@TimHalbach) July 29, 2021
The fourth tornado took place around 1:20 a.m. several miles south of Dousman near a cemetery on County Highway Z. This tornado traveled 2.19 miles with a maximum width of 150 yards. Peak winds are estimated at 100 miles-per-hour, ranking this a category EF1.
The fifth tornado took place around 1:40 am. south of an area between Wales and Waukesha. Damage from County Highway D and Townline Road estimates the tornado was on the ground just less than a mile with a maximum width of 100 yards. Peak wind gusts were 95 miles-per-hour, ranking it a category EF1.
As for other communities that saw widespread damage such as Ripon, Omro, Amherst Junction, Hadley, Weston and Tomahawk, the National Weather Service says many of them had straight line winds that gusted between 60 to 80 miles-per-hour.
At least one death has been connected to the storms. The Wisconsin State Journal reports a man died when he crashed his vehicle into a fallen tree and power line near the town of Ripon around 6 a.m. Thursday.