Total Rises To Twelve Twisters Tearing Through Wisconsin on Thursday

MILWAUKEE, Wis (CIVIC MEDIA) – More tornadoes were found in Dodge County as the National Weather Service continues to survey damage across the state.

The National Weather Service Milwaukee confirms seven tornadoes touched down during last Thursday’s severe thunderstorm event in southern Wisconsin. This puts the state total at 12 tornadoes occurring on Thursday, May 15.

The latest regions added to the list Monday are in Sauk County and Columbia County. Rock Spring’s tornado was given a strength rated at an EF-0 with 70 mph winds; it wasn’t on the ground long, disappearing after a tenth of a mile.

The other tornado was in Portage, and it rated as an EF-U. The “U” is defined as “unknown” because it only went through a marsh and no damage was done. The NWS says multiple videos and calls reported a brief touchdown along Interstate 39. Surveys could not find damage along any roadways, suggesting a touchdown may have happened in the Baraboo River Waterfowl Production Area or Pine Island State Wildlife area north of Hwy 33. The path was matched to radar rotation.

Ratings for twisters are based on the damage seen. That’s how the meteorologists are able to determine wind speeds of a tornado. So, when a tornado tears through a field, the strength cannot be measured.

A total of four stronger tornadoes made an appearance that Thursday, however. One was in Juneau and another in Mayville; they were rated EF-2’s with winds at 120 mph.

Two Wisconsin tornadoes were rated EF-2s. One was in Clark County, which struck the town of Colby. The other was up north in St. Croix County, which was the first one to touch down that day and the strongest of them all. Winds reached 125 mph and video was captured of the rope tornado in New Richmond.

The other five were rated EF-1’s with winds around 95 mph in Christie and Loyal, located in Clark County, and the other three made their way through Lomira, Lowell and north of Juneau in Dodge County. An EF-0 also made its way near Rib Falls in Marathon County with winds around 80 mph.

More information is currently being assessed by the National Weather Service offices to see if other tornadoes occurred in the state as well. They said they are currently looking at two possible others.

They also noted to always leave your Wireless Emergency Alerts on, on your cell phone. This tool can keep you keep aware if you are in the path of a tornado.