First-ever February tornadoes in Wisconsin caused $2.4M in damages

EVANSVILLE, Wis. — The first tornadoes ever recorded in Wisconsin in the usually frigid month of February caused more than $2.4 million in damage, officials said Wednesday.

The tornadoes that ripped through Rock County on Feb. 8 killed some livestock and struck 30 homes, officials said.

Damage estimates do not include agricultural impacts to silos, barns and equipment, said Kevin Wernet, director of Rock County Emergency Management.

More than $2 million in damages were reported in the city of Porter and more than $320,000 in the city of Fulton, officials said. Two houses were destroyed and ten houses suffered major damage.

One confirmed tornado near Evansville was a “high-end” F2, the weather service said. These tornadoes are described as ‘significant’, with the winds in this particular tornado reaching speeds of 140 miles per hour. It was on the ground for 36 minutes and covered a distance of 39.4 kilometers with a maximum width of 457.2 meters.

Another tornado that touched down near Judah was an F1 with peak winds of 110 mph (177 km per hour) and on the ground for 14 minutes, traveling 8.35 miles (13.4 kilometers) with a maximum width of 50 yards (45.7 meters), the weather service said.

The tornadoes were the first Wisconsin has experienced in the month of February since at least 1950, when records were kept.