Three tornadoes have been confirmed to have touched down in west-central Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon as a powerful line of storms swept across the state, according to the National Weather Service.
TOMAH, Wis. — Three tornadoes have been confirmed to have touched down in west-central Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon as a powerful line of storms swept across the state, according to the National Weather Service.
The strongest tornado, an EF-2, touched down south of Tomah just before 4 p.m. The tornado was on the ground for just under 21 miles and packed peak winds of 115 miles per hour before ending in the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. It knocked down trees and damaged a number of buildings while it was on the ground.
The second tornado to touch down in the area began at 4:07 p.m. east of La Farge. The EF-1 tornado covered a six-mile path in seven minutes, causing EF-1 tree damage and EF-0 damage to buildings.
Just before 4:45 p.m., a third tornado, also an EF-1, touched down near Mauston and headed northeast intermittently before dissipating near the Wisconsin River.
Parts of Columbia, Dane and Dodge counties saw damage from straight-line winds of roughly 70 miles per hour, the National Weather Service in Milwaukee said. Even stronger winds — estimated at between 95 and 105 miles per hour, caused damage in Marquette County.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin, National Weather Service surveyors confirmed EF-1 tornadoes in West Bloomfield in Waushara County and Seymour in Outagamie County. Another tornado was confirmed in the town of Silver Cliff in Marinette County, but details about its strength were not immediately available.
No injuries or deaths were reported from any of the tornadoes.
Tornadoes are rated based on estimated wind speeds, with EF-0 being the weakest and EF-5 being the most powerful.