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F1 tornado in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

Tornado July 13, 2004 · Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

F1
Rating
4.2 mi
Path length
500 yd
Path width
$1.6M
Damage as recorded
$10K
Crop damage
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 500 yards (0.28 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F1 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F1 meant moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken; the scale paired it with winds of 73–112 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

The wider storm

Thunderstorms developed in moist and unstable air as a cold front and upper level trough moved through northeast Wisconsin. Several severe thunderstorms formed during the afternoon, one of which produced a tornado in the vicinity of a lake breeze front in Manitowoc county. Strong winds from these storms downed trees and power lines in Valders (Manitowoc co.), near Wild Rose (Waushara co.), and from Athelstane to Middle Inlet (Marinette co.) and damaged trees at a country club in Luxemburg (Kewaunee co.) and at Whitefish Dunes State Park (Door co.). Tennis ball size hail fell between Reedsville and Whitelaw (Manitowoc co.) and golf ball size hail was reported at Lakewood (Oconto co.). There were also several reports of quarter size hail.Law enforcement officers watch as two funnel clouds moved across central Manitowoc county. One of the funnels touched down near Clarks Mills causing extensive damage to two farms. The tornado destroyed 2 garages, 2 barns, 2 milking parlors, 3 silos, 45 calf hutches and about 80 acres of alfalfa. It damaged barns, service buildings, farm equipment and at least a dozen residences, one of which was uninhabitable. The tornado snapped and uprooted trees and carried a calf about half a mile away where it was found still alive.

Began near Clark Mills (44.1000, -87.8833).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5416917. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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