EF1 Tornado — Outagamie, Wisconsin

2013-08-06 · near Mackville, Outagamie, Wisconsin

Event narrative

Another fast-moving tornado developed within a line of severe thunderstorms and moved east-southeast across the Fox Valley. The tornado caused significant damage to several outbuildings and barns (DI 1, DOD 6 and 7) and flattened sections of mature corn fields. The roof of a power substation was damaged (similar to DI 9, DOD 5) southwest of Freedom. The average path width of the tornado in Outagamie County was 150 yards. The tornado moved into Brown County near Highway 41, 1.8 miles northwest of Wrightstown, at 12:48 am CDT.

Wider weather episode

A line of severe thunderstorms, known as a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS), produced six tornadoes and widespread damaging winds across east-central Wisconsin during the late night hours of August 6-7. The storms formed ahead of a cold front that also produced severe weather in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

The tornadoes occurred within about 50 minutes--between 12:22 am and 1:10 am CDT. Hundreds of homes, businesses and farm buildings were damaged. Two injuries occurred at a campground in Waupaca County. Thousands of trees and power lines were also downed, leaving tens of thousands of people without power. The strongest tornado of the event reached EF2 intensity (winds estimated at 115 to 120 mph). This tornado caused significant damage to a church in New London.

The six tornadoes that occurred on August 7 were the most nighttime tornadoes in a single event in northeast Wisconsin since accurate tornado records began (1950).

View location on OpenStreetMap → (44.3710, -88.3740)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 459699. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.