Barneveld, 1984: 9 Dead, 200 Injured
'You Recognize How Frail Human Things Are'
Posted: 11:20 a.m. CDT June 8, 2004Updated: 1:23 p.m. CDT June 9, 2004
June 8, 1984: Barneveld was digging out from a deadly F5 tornado.
The only warning residents got -- just before 1 a.m. -- was an intense blast of thunder that
shook many of them from their beds. Big storms had been brewing west of Wisconsin and a tornado watch was in effect, but many people were sleeping and unaware.
The tornado was part of 50 tornadoes that came out of the Midwest skies that early morning, 20 years ago.
In 15 furious seconds, the village of Barneveld was wiped out. More than 200 homes were destroyed or damaged, and 17 of the 18 businesses and every public building were gone.
"All of a sudden, everything exploded
and glass started flying -- and all the
windows blew out of the house," said
resident Libby Boehnen.
It was the worst tornado to strike Wisconsin in 26 years.
"All of a sudden, boom, our garage was in our living room," said survivor Barb Brewer.
Sirens were silent because the storm knocked out electricity. The 582 residents never knew what hit them. When night turned to day, the search for victims intensified, and the news got worse. People were missing for hours, and rescuers didn't know if they were dead or alive.
In the end, nine people died and more than 200 -- a third of the village's population -- were injured. The tornado cut a path 400 yards wide through Barneveld with its 300 mph winds. Tornadoes touched down in five other towns that night as the storm system moved northeast doing $40 million in damage -- $25 million in Barneveld alone.
The village water tower was the only thing left standing. The fire station, bank and post office were gone. At three churches, only prayer books remained.
"We felt so much pride in our community," said Judy Anderson in 1984. "We were building a new library, and everything was just so good for our community -- two hours later there's nothing."
State government officials, including then-Gov. Tony Earl, surveyed the damage the next morning at dawn. They were in shock. Earl, who was turned down for $25 million in federal disaster aid for a tornado that had hit Lake Tomahawk two months earlier, wondered if it would happen again.
"You recognize how frail human things are -- you simply can't believe what it's done," he said.
Residents spent weeks looking for belongings. The hardest part was figuring out what was theirs and what was their neighbor's. Paper debris was found 135 miles away.
Within hours and for weeks afterward, the Red Cross and Salvation Army helped feed the town and its spirit as it buried the dead, including 53-year-old farmer Robert Arneson; Bruce and Jill Simon and their daughter, Cassandra.
A month later, the town celebrated Independence Day at Birch Lake with traditions, such as fried chicken, dancing and tractor pulls.
The sign, which became their motto hung downtown: "We're not giving up, we're going on."
Barneveld: 20 Years Later
SLIDESHOW: See Destruction
Do You Remember?
Where Were You?
In 15 furious seconds, the village of Barneveld was wiped out. More than 200 homes were destroyed or damaged, and 17 of the 18 businesses and every public building were gone.
"All of a sudden, everything exploded
and glass started flying -- and all the
windows blew out of the house," said
resident Libby Boehnen.
It was the worst tornado to strike Wisconsin in 26 years.
"All of a sudden, boom, our garage was in our living room," said survivor Barb Brewer.
Sirens were silent because the storm knocked out electricity. The 582 residents never knew what hit them. When night turned to day, the search for victims intensified, and the news got worse. People were missing for hours, and rescuers didn't know if they were dead or alive.
In the end, nine people died and more than 200 -- a third of the village's population -- were injured. The tornado cut a path 400 yards wide through Barneveld with its 300 mph winds. Tornadoes touched down in five other towns that night as the storm system moved northeast doing $40 million in damage -- $25 million in Barneveld alone.
The village water tower was the only thing left standing. The fire station, bank and post office were gone. At three churches, only prayer books remained.
"We felt so much pride in our community," said Judy Anderson in 1984. "We were building a new library, and everything was just so good for our community -- two hours later there's nothing."
State government officials, including then-Gov. Tony Earl, surveyed the damage the next morning at dawn. They were in shock. Earl, who was turned down for $25 million in federal disaster aid for a tornado that had hit Lake Tomahawk two months earlier, wondered if it would happen again.
"You recognize how frail human things are -- you simply can't believe what it's done," he said.
Residents spent weeks looking for belongings. The hardest part was figuring out what was theirs and what was their neighbor's. Paper debris was found 135 miles away.
Within hours and for weeks afterward, the Red Cross and Salvation Army helped feed the town and its spirit as it buried the dead, including 53-year-old farmer Robert Arneson; Bruce and Jill Simon and their daughter, Cassandra.
A month later, the town celebrated Independence Day at Birch Lake with traditions, such as fried chicken, dancing and tractor pulls.
The sign, which became their motto hung downtown: "We're not giving up, we're going on."
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