Tornado outbreak of June 18, 2001

Last updated
Tornado outbreak of June 18, 2001
Siren, Wisconsin Radar1.jpg
Radar image of the Siren Supercell (bottom left) at 8:30 CST.
TypeTornado outbreak
DurationJune 18, 2001
Tornadoes
confirmed		6
Max. rating1 F3 tornado
Duration of
tornado outbreak2		~6 hours, 25 minutes
Fatalities2 fatalities, 16 injuries
Damage~$22.6 million [1]
Areas affected Florida, Upper Midwest

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

On June 18, 2001, a small, but fatal tornado outbreak occurred across the Upper Midwest as well as Florida. The outbreak spawned a long-tracked F3 tornado that killed three people, and caused approximately US$10 million in damage. The tornado struck Siren, Wisconsin, a small village whose only siren was malfunctioning when the tornado moved through. Other less damaging tornadoes were confirmed in Florida, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. Following the outbreak, areas affected by the Wisconsin tornado received financial assistance from local and federal authorities.

Contents

Meteorological synopsis

After a brief F0 tornado touched down in Florida, meteorological conditions during the evening hours of June 18, 2001 rapidly began to deteriorate across the Upper Midwest. At 7 PM CDT (0000 UTC) an occluding cyclone was present over Northeast Minnesota, while a secondary front was located to its south. [2] A zonally oriented warm front extended from the southern low, while a north–south cold front was located near the low pressure. [2] Cape values in Iowa were between the 3000 to 4500 J/kg range, and conditions were starting to deteriorate there as well. [3] By early evening a line of thunderstorms began to develop along the cold front across Eastern Nebraska and Iowa, and extended up into Minnesota. [3] The first tornado of the outbreak happened at 7:22 PM CDT (0022) near the town of Day, Minnesota. The tornado was rated an F1, and cut a path 8 miles (12.9 km) long through mostly rural areas. [4] At 7:36 PM CDT (0036 UTC) the second tornado of the outbreak, an F0, made a brief touchdown near Tekamah, Nebraska. [5] Some of the Iowa storms also rapidly developed into severe thunderstorms. At 7:59 PM CDT (0059 UTC) Harrison County fire and rescue reported that a tornado had touchdown near Modale. [6] The F0 was on the ground only briefly before lifting. [6] In Wisconsin, convection with was firing up near the Minnesota state border, and an "Enhanced-V" signature became evident on one cell. [7] At 8:06 PM CDT (0106 UTC) an F3 touched down East-Northeast of Grantsburg. [8] The tornado continued in an eastward direction moving through the towns of Alpha, Falun and Siren. [7] [8] The tornado moved into Washburn County, where it eventually dissipated near Spooner. [9] The last tornado of the outbreak occurred near Glidden, Iowa. It was rated an F0. [3] Many other storms also caused hail and wind reports across the Midwest, in association with this outbreak. [1]

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FUF0F1F2F3F4F5Total
04101006

June 18 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, June 18, 2001 [nb 1] [nb 2]
F# LocationCounty / ParishStateStart
coord.		Time (UTC)Path lengthMax. widthSummaryRefs.
F0NE of Buckville Lafayette FL 30°09′N83°15′W / 30.15°N 83.25°W / 30.15; -83.25 20:00–?0.1 miles (0.16 km)50 yards (46 m)Damages were estimated at $70,000 from this brief tornado. [11]
F1E of Day Isanti, Kanabec MN 45°26′N93°13′W / 45.43°N 93.21°W / 45.43; -93.21 00:22–?8.3 miles (13.4 km)—Tornado touchdown confirmed, two barns destroyed, a dozen outbuildings damaged. Damages reached $200,000. [12] [4]
F0E of Craig Burt NE 41°28′N96°11′W / 41.47°N 96.19°W / 41.47; -96.19 00:36–?0.1 miles (0.16 km)20 yards (18 m)Brief touchdown in open country; no damage caused. [13] [5]
F0N of Modale Harrison IA 41°23′N96°01′W / 41.39°N 96.01°W / 41.39; -96.01 00:59–?0.2 miles (0.32 km)25 yards (23 m)Brief touchdown in open country; no damage caused. [14] [6]
F3E of Grantsburg to Siren to W of Spooner Burnett, Washburn WI 45°28′N92°23′W / 45.47°N 92.39°W / 45.47; -92.39 01:06–?34 miles (55 km)880 yards (800 m)2 deaths – See section on this tornado – 16 people were injured. [15]
F0 Glidden Carroll IA 42°02′N94°26′W / 42.03°N 94.44°W / 42.03; -94.44 02:25–?0.2 miles (0.32 km)30 yards (27 m)Brief touchdown in open country. There was $1,000 in crop damage caused. [16] [3]

Alpha–Siren–Hertel, Wisconsin

Alpha–Siren–Hertel, Wisconsin
F3 tornado
FEMA - 5098 - Photograph by Dana Trytten taken on 06-19-2001 in Wisconsin.jpg
FEMA image of tornado damage in Siren.
Max. rating1 F3 tornado
Fatalities2 fatalities, 16 injuries
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The Siren tornado was the outbreak's only fatal storm, killing two people and injuring another 16. [17] [18] [19] [20] Damage from the tornado was estimated at US$10 million. [17] The tornado caused the most damage in the village of Siren, where most structures were completely destroyed. [18] 240 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the tornado, and over 100 firefighters helped rescue people trapped in buildings and clean up. [21] Residents reported cows and other livestock flying through the air during the tornado. [18] Despite a tornado warning being issued, Siren's only civil defense siren failed as a result of a lightning strike in April or May. [20] Police took to the streets, sounding their horns and shouting warnings to local residents. [19] The siren system had been scheduled to be repaired the following week. [19]

Aftermath

Following the Siren tornado, Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum declared a state of emergency. [21] Milwaukee's American Signal Corporation donated a T-121 siren to the village. [22] The village of Siren received a state grant of $500,000; Burnett and Washburn counties received $250,000 from the United States Department of Labor to help rebuild. [23]

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.
  2. ↑ Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 Andover tornado outbreak</span> Tornado outbreak in Kansas and Oklahoma

From April 26 to 27, 1991, multiple supercells across Oklahoma and Kansas led to a regional tornado outbreak. Forced by a potent trough and focused along a dryline, these distinct thunderstorms moved northeast through a moist and highly unstable environment. A total of 55 tornadoes were confirmed, many of which were strong, F2 or greater on the Fujita scale. A widely documented F5 tornado tore through Andover, Kansas, killing 17 people. Additional fatalities occurred from significant tornadoes in other portions of Kansas and Oklahoma, with 21 deaths recorded in total. An F4 tornado was detected by a mobile doppler weather radar team which observed winds up to 270 mph (430 km/h) at the top of the funnel, the first time winds of F5 intensity were measured by radar, and the highest winds recorded by radar at the time. A news team filming an F2 tornado sought shelter under a Kansas Turnpike overpass, causing a misconception that overpasses can provide adequate shelter during a tornado. This outbreak occurred within a transition period for the National Weather Service and proved the value of NEXRAD radars, which were utilized in Oklahoma to provide advanced warning to residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisconsin tornado outbreak of 2005</span> Weather event in the United States

The Wisconsin tornado outbreak of 2005 was an outbreak of tornadoes that occurred primarily in southern Wisconsin on August 18, 2005. A system of storms unleashed a total of 28 tornadoes, 27 of which were confirmed in southern Wisconsin, and 1 confirmed in Minnesota. This outbreak set a new record for the most tornadoes observed in the state in a single day, breaking the previous record of 24 tornadoes set on May 8, 1988. The system generating the Stoughton tornado was also accompanied by many reports of severe winds and hail throughout the region. The Stoughton tornado was documented on an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornado outbreak sequence of March 9–13, 2006</span> Weather event sequence

The Tornado outbreak sequence of March 9–13, 2006 was an early season and long lasting tornado outbreak sequence in the central United States that started on the morning of March 9 and continued for over four days until the evening of March 13. The outbreak produced 99 confirmed tornadoes, which killed a total of 10 people. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued multiple elevated outlook throughout the sequence, including a rare high risk for March 12, which would end up being the most intense day of the outbreak, producing 62 in total. 11 F3 tornadoes were tallied, and a violent F4 tornado touched down in Monroe County, Missouri, becoming the strongest of the outbreak. Multiple tornado emergencies were issued for tornadoes throughout the outbreak as well. An intense F3 tornado that affected the towns of Renick and Maddison in Missouri killed 4 people and injured dozens others, becoming the deadliest of the sequence. Multiple of the tornadoes were long-tracked in nature, with 6 of them having paths exceeding 30 miles (48 km). One particular supercell thunderstorm during the outbreak persisted for many hours and progressed in excess of 800 miles (1,300 km) through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and extreme southern Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Comfrey–St. Peter tornado outbreak</span>

The 1998 Comfrey–St. Peter tornado outbreak was an unseasonably-strong tornado outbreak which affected the Upper Midwest region of the United States on March 29, 1998. A strong area of low pressure combined with a warm front and favorable upper-level dynamics to produce 16 tornadoes across the region—14 in Minnesota and two in Wisconsin. Thirteen of the tornadoes in Minnesota were spawned by a single supercell thunderstorm. This supercell remained intact for approximately 150 miles (240 km) as it moved across the southern part of the state during the late-afternoon hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornadoes of 2004</span>

This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2004. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornadoes of 2001</span>

This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2001. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail.

On May 24–25, 1957, a tornado outbreak primarily affected the Western High Plains, Central Great Plains, and Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains of the United States. 45 tornadoes touched down over the area, most of which took place across northern and western Texas, in addition to southern Oklahoma. Overall activity initiated over eastern New Mexico and spread northeastward as far as southwestern Wisconsin. The strongest tornado, which occurred in southern Oklahoma on May 24, was assigned a rating of F4 near Lawton. Anomalously, some tornadoes touched down during the early morning hours, rather than late afternoon or early evening, when daytime heating typically peaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornado outbreak of June 7–8, 1984</span> Tornado outbreak from North Dakota to Kansas, June 7–8, 1984; F5 tornado in Barneveld, WI

The Tornado outbreak of June 7–8, 1984 was a significant severe weather and tornado event that took place across the central United States from North Dakota to Kansas on June 7–8, 1984. The tornado outbreak produced several significant tornadoes including an F5 tornado which traveled through Barneveld, Wisconsin, in the early hours of June 8, 1984. The entire outbreak killed at least 13 people across three states including 9 in Barneveld alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane Ivan tornado outbreak</span>

The Hurricane Ivan tornado outbreak was a three-day tornado outbreak that was associated with the passage of Hurricane Ivan across the Southern United States starting on September 15, 2004, across the Gulf Coast states of Alabama and Florida as well as southern Georgia before ending in the Middle Atlantic Coast on September 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2003</span>

From May 3 to May 11, 2003, a prolonged and destructive series of tornado outbreaks affected much of the Great Plains and Eastern United States. Most of the severe activity was concentrated between May 4 and May 10, which saw more tornadoes than any other week-long span in recorded history; 335 tornadoes occurred during this period, concentrated in the Ozarks and central Mississippi River Valley. Additional tornadoes were produced by the same storm systems from May 3 to May 11, producing 363 tornadoes overall, of which 62 were significant. Six of the tornadoes were rated F4, and of these four occurred on May 4, the most prolific day of the tornado outbreak sequence; these were the outbreak's strongest tornadoes. Damage caused by the severe weather and associated flooding amounted to US$4.1 billion, making it the costliest U.S. tornado outbreak of the 2000s. A total of 50 deaths and 713 injuries were caused by the severe weather, with a majority caused by tornadoes; the deadliest tornado was an F4 that struck Madison and Henderson counties in Tennessee, killing 11. In 2023, tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis created the outbreak intensity score (OIS) as a way to rank various tornado outbreaks. The tornado outbreak sequence of May 2003 received an OIS of 232, making it the fourth worst tornado outbreak in recorded history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornadoes of 2000</span>

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2000, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally, particularly in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the summer season.

In the early morning hours of April 4, 1981, an unusual and deadly anticyclonic F4 tornado struck West Bend, Wisconsin. It killed three people, and injured another 53. The tornado was largely unexpected and the storm that produced it did not display features of a typical severe storm. Because of this, the National Weather Service issued only a Severe Thunderstorm Warning prior to the tornado which caused local law enforcement to not sound the tornado sirens in time for residents to take shelter.

The tornado outbreak of August 8–9, 1993 was a small tornado outbreak that occurred over the Upper Midwest of the United States for a period of two days. An F0 tornado near Littlefork, Minnesota lifted and moved a mobile home, killing its two occupants. It is Minnesota's most recent single tornado to cause multiple deaths. Other minor tornadoes occurred in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, causing limited damage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 2010 Northern Plains tornado outbreak</span>

The June 2010 Northern Plains tornado outbreak was one of the most prolific summer tornado outbreaks in the Northern Great Plains of the United States on record. The outbreak began on June 16, with several tornadoes in South Dakota and Montana. The most intense storms took place the following day across much of eastern North Dakota and much of Minnesota. The system produced 93 tornadoes reported across four states while killing three people in Minnesota. Four of the tornadoes were rated as EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, the most violent tornadoes in a 24-hour period since there were five within 15 hours in the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. This was the region's first major tornado outbreak of the year and one of the largest on record in the region, comparable to a similar outbreak in June 1992. The 48 tornadoes that touched down in Minnesota on June 17 marked the most active single day in the state's history. June 17 was the second largest tornado day on record in the meteorological summer, behind the most prolific day of the 2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak on June 24, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornado outbreak of April 9–11, 2011</span> Tornado outbreak in the United States

One of several tornado outbreaks in the United States to take place during the record month of April 2011, 49 tornadoes were produced across the Midwest and Southeast from April 9–11. Widespread damage took place; however, no fatalities resulted from the event due to timely warnings. In Wisconsin, 16 tornadoes touched down, ranking this outbreak as the state's largest April event on record as well as one of the largest single-day events during the course of any year. The strongest tornado of the outbreak was an EF4 tornado that touched down west of Pocahontas, Iowa on April 9, a short-lived satellite to a long-track EF3 tornado. Between 0256 and 0258 UTC that day, five tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously in Pocahontas County, Iowa, all of which were from one supercell thunderstorm. Other tornadoes impacted parts of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee on April 9, hours before the event in Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornadoes of 1959</span> Tornadoes that appeared primarily in the United States in 1959

Tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1959 were tornadoes that appeared primarily in the United States in that year. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornadoes of 1958</span>

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1958, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornado outbreak sequence of June 20–23, 1957</span> Weather event in the United States

A deadly and destructive outbreak sequence of 23 tornadoes struck parts of the Great Plains and the Great Lakes in late-June 1957. At least seven significant tornadoes (F2+) touched down during the outbreak sequence. The most devastating storm was a large, violent, and catastrophic 500-yard-wide F5 tornado family that struck Fargo, North Dakota on Thursday, June 20, 1957, killing 10 people and becoming the deadliest tornado ever recorded in North Dakota. The outbreak caused 11 fatalities, 105 injuries, and $25.883 million in damage.

A destructive tornado outbreak impacted the Great Plains and Midwestern United States on June 23–24, 1952, generating several significant (F2+) tornadoes. Most of the tornadoes and casualties occurred in June 23, when an F4 tornado injured four an Iowa and an F3 tornado killed two and injured six in Wisconsin. Minneapolis, Minnesota was struck by long-tracked F2 tornadoes on both outbreak days, causing a combined 25 injuries alone. Overall, at least seven tornadoes were confirmed, killing two, injuring 35, and causing $22.5 million in damage.

References

  1. 1 2 "Storm Events". National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Archived from the original on 1 April 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  2. 1 2 Zachar, Nick. "Siren, WI Tornado on June 18, 2001" (PDF). University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Event Record Details". National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Event Record Details". National Climatic data Center (NCDC). Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Event Record Details". National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 "Event Record Details". National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  7. 1 2 "18–19 June 2001 - Siren, Wisconsin Tornado". University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  8. 1 2 "Siren Tornado". NWS Duluth. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  9. ↑ "Event Record Details". National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  10. ↑ Brooks, Harold E. (April 2004). "On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity". Weather and Forecasting . 19 (2). Boston: American Meteorological Society: 310. Bibcode:2004WtFor..19..310B. doi: 10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2 . Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  11. ↑ "Florida F0". Tornado History Projects. Storm Predicition Center. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "Minnesota F1". Tornado History Projects. Storm Predicition Center. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  13. ↑ "Nebraska F0". Tornado History Projects. Storm Predicition Center. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Iowa F0". Tornado History Projects. Storm Predicition Center. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "Wisconsin F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Predicition Center. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "Iowa F0". Tornado History Projects. Storm Predicition Center. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Event Record Details". National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  18. 1 2 3 "Cleanup In No-Siren Siren, Wis". CBS News. June 19, 2001. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  19. 1 2 3 "Lethal tornado could have killed more". TV New Zealand. June 20, 2001. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  20. 1 2 "Tornado kills 3 in Wisconsin, siren silent". Reading Eagle. The Associated Press. June 19, 2001. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  21. 1 2 "Tornado kills 3, devastates village". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. June 19, 2001. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  22. ↑ Sweeny, Nicole (June 22, 2001). "Siren for Siren: Company Replacing Signal". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  23. ↑ Toosi, Nahal (July 3, 2001). "State gives Siren $500,000 to rebuild rom tornado". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.