EVANSVILLE, Wis. (AP) — 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 cattle and hit 30 homes, officials said.
The damage estimates don’t include agricultural impacts to silos, barns and equipment, said Kevin Wernet, director of Rock County Emergency Management.
A funnel cloud is seen in the sky over Evansville, Wis., on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. The first-ever February tornado for the state of Wisconsin was spotted Thursday just south of Madison, the National Weather Service confirmed. (Kristofer Bell via AP)
More than $2 million in damages were reported in the town of Porter and more than $320,000 in damages were reported in the town of Fulton, officials said. Two homes were destroyed and 10 sustained major damage.
One confirmed tornado near Evansville was a “high end” F2, the weather service said. Those tornadoes are described as “significant,” with winds in this particular twister topping out at 135 mph (220 kph). It was on the ground for 36 minutes, traveling 24.5 miles (39.4 kilometers) with a maximum width of 500 yards (457.2 meters).
Another tornado that touched down near Juda was an F1 with peak winds of 110 mph (177 kph) and on the ground for 14 minutes, covering 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 during the month of February since at least 1950, when records started being kept.
An aerial view of the damage along North Tolles Road, Friday morning, Feb. 9, 2024, after a confirmed tornado went through the area just northwest of Evansville, Wis., the prior evening. The tornado was the first-ever reported in February in the state of Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. (Anthony Wahl//The Janesville Gazette via AP) An aerial view of the damage along North Tolles Road Friday morning, Feb. 9, 2024, after a confirmed tornado went through the area just northwest of Evansville, Wis., the prior evening. The tornado was the first-ever reported in February in the state of Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. (Anthony Wahl//The Janesville Gazette via AP) A chunk of wood is impaled in Dan Wagner’s SUV outside his home, Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in the Town of Porter, Wis. A line of powerful storms and tornadoes fueled by unusually warm February weather ripped across southeastern Wisconsin on Thursday evening. (AP Photo/Todd Richmond) A home owned by Patrick Crull along North Tolles Road shown Friday morning, Feb. 9, 2024, suffered severe damage from a confirmed tornado that traveled through the area just northwest of Evansville, Wis. the night. The tornado was the first-ever reported in February in the state of Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. (Anthony Wahl/The Janesville Gazette via AP)/The Janesville Gazette via AP) Family members and friends gather at the Rock County, Wis. home of Marilyn Kueng Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 after the property was damaged in a tornado the previous day. Kueng, 83, who was on the first floor of the home when its roof was lifted off, was not injured in the storm. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
