National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Tornadoes in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest & central Wisconsin

Background Information
 
Statistics (1850-Present)
 
Records (1850-Present)
 

Trempealeau County (WI) Tornadoes*
1850-2020
Date Time Location Other 
Counties 
Affected
Length
(miles)
Width
(yards)
Deaths** Injuries** EF-Scale
Month Day Year
7 19 2020 2350-2357 CST Osseo 3SW None 3.65 200 0 0 EF1
 
Damage to crops, trees, and outbuildings.
7 20 2019 0810-0812 CST Butman Corners 5ENE to Butman Corners 5.7E None 0.86 50 0 0 EF0
 
A brief tornado occurred in the far southeast corner of Trempealeau County southeast of Ettrick. The tornado touched down in a cornfield, crossed State Highway 54, and dissipated in a wooden area. Damage was limited to the corn and trees. This tornado caused $10,000 in crop damage. More information on this tornado can be found at: http://www.weather.gov/arx/jul2019
5 17 2017 1621-1625 CST Butman Corners 4.5ENE to Butman Corners 5.6ENE None 1.06 250 0 0 EF1
 
An EF-1 tornado moved across far southeast Trempealeau County and damaged trees and farm buildings. One barn was destroyed, part of a metal roof was taken off an outbuilding and a tree was knocked over onto the roof of a mobile home. This tornado caused $60,000 in property damage. More information on this tornado can be found at: https://www.weather.gov/arx/may1717
7 22 2013  1615-1620 CST 5.5 WSW Centerville to 4.4 WSW Centerville None 1.1 40  EF0 
  This tornado began as a waterspout in the marsh waters just off the main channle of the Mississippi River southeast of Winona, Minnesota, but on the Wisconsin side.  White spray could be seen for some distance as the waterspout pulled up wtare into the funnel.  The tornado then moved onshore in the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge and knocked down numerous trees for nearly a half mile.  Water plants were found on the refuge roads suggesting they were thrown some distance.
8 18 2005 1318-1319 CST Centerville 5W None 0.1 25 0 0 F0
  This was first of 27 tornadoes to touch down in Wisconsin on this date (a single day record for the state). It touched down briefly just west of Centerville. The only damage reported with this tornado was several trees knocked down just north of Highway 35 along County Road G. This tornado caused approximately $1,500 in property damage.
5 26 2002  1455-1456 CST Arcadia 0.7W to Arcadia 0.5W   None 0.1  2 F0 
  A brief tornado touched down in an open field just west of Arcadia, but did no damage.  
8 18 2001  1923-1925 CST Osseo 3SW  None 30  F0 
  Cold air funnels were reported by the public and law enforcement officials, with a brief touchdown occurring near Osseo. There were no reports of injuries or damage. 
5 30 1991 1630 CST Whitehall 1W None 0.1 25 0 0 F0
  A small tornado caused minor tree damage to a golf course.
9 9 1990 1900-1904 CST Nelson to Arcadia 3SSE Buffalo 30 30 0 1 F1
  A tornado touched down in Nelson where a bulk of the damage and lone injury occurred. An estimated $1,000,000 in damage occurred in the Nelson area as 95% of the town was affected. Thirty homes and 31 mobile homes were destroyed, 24 homes and businesses received major damage. The tornado skipped along a 30-mile-path causing barn damage near Waumandee. It produced $600,000 damage to sheds and agriculture buildings in Trempealeau County, along with extensive crop damage. The only injury occurred in Buffalo County.
7 3 1983 1730 CST Arcadia 4W None ? ? 0 0 F0
  No damage was reported.
5 17 1982 1715 CST Ettrick 1SW None 1 50 0 0 F1
  Crossed Highway 53 just southwest of Ettrick. Nine farm buildings were destroyed including two large barns. This tornado may have been the same storm that hit Winona County on the same day.
4 7 1980 1445 CST Blair None 0.5 70 0 0 F0
   A tornado moved north through the town of Blair.
6 16 1979 1500 CST Just south of Eleva to the Augusta area Eau Claire 17.6 100 0 0 F1
   A tornado touched down initially south of Eleva and moved north of Strum toward the Augusta area.
7 5 1978 1700 CST Arcadia 6NW Buffalo 11.1 100 0 2 F1
6 2 1973 1415 CST Pigeon Falls None 1 50 0 0 F1
   A small tornado touched down near Pigeon Falls on Highway 53.
7 16 1972 1550 CST Galesville 2S to New Amsterdam 3N La Crosse 4.3 50 0 0 F1
   A tornado touched down 2 miles southwest of Galesville.  At 1605 CST, the tornado was observed by State Patrol deputies moving southeast across open country.
3 27 1968 1820-1830 CST Whitehall 5SW to Whitehall 3E None 8 100 0 0 F2
  Several wood frame barns and a concrete block barn were destroyed.
6 15 1967 1410 CST Galesville 2W None 1.3 70 0 0 F1
   A tornado moved northeast to 2 miles west of Galesville.
5 23 1964 1930 CST Pleasantville to NW Jackson County Jackson 21.0 100 0 0 F2
   The tornado initially touched down southwest of Pleasantville, moved through that town, and moved northeast in northwestern Jackson County.  The tornado touched down several times along this track. 
6 28 1960 1545- 1600 CST Mondovi 3ESE to Strum 6ESE Buffalo 16 70 0 0 F2
  A barn was destroyed. This tornado crossed into Trempealeau County before lifting.
5 26 1959 1545-1645 CST Trempealeau 1E to Fairchild 4NE Clark
Jackson
50 70 0 2 F2
  Skipped north-northeast from east of Trempealeau, passing 1 mile east of Hegg, near Northfield, and 1 mile southeast to 4 miles northeast of Fairchild. A café was destroyed in Clark County. Trees and sheds were downed. Minimal F2 damage. Both injuries occurred in Clark County.
4 26 1954 1535 CST Camp Decorah (between Galesville and Holman) None 5.6 ? 0 0 F1
5 10 1953 1830 CST Fountain City 2NE to Colburn Buffalo
Chippewa
Eau Claire
65 200 0 10 F4
  Moved northeast from northeast of Fountain City to Colburn (Chippewa Co.). This tornado or tornado family struck about a hundred farms. Eight farms were hit in Glencoe Township, northeast of Fountain City. The total damage from this tornado was $1,000,000.
5 17 1936 0015 CST Elk Creek to Hale None 6 300 0 0 F2
 
This tornado moved northeast hitting eight farms and completely destroying three barns. A second tornado may have touched down at Elk Creek at 5:00 AM. Damage estimates were $30,000.
6
13
1930
1730-1930 CST
?
Jackson
Clark
Marathon
Lincoln
80
1300
0
0
?
  The tornado moved through western Trempealeau County, northern Jackson County, eastern Clark County, and northwestern Marathon County.   This was one of six tornadoes to occur in west-central Wisconsin on this date between 4PM and 8 PM.
5 1 1930 1930 CST Ettrick to Melrose Jackson 10 100 0 13 F2
  This tornado moved east from southeast of Ettrick to near Melrose (Jackson County). "Cottages" and barns were leveled in the South Beaver Creek valley. Ten people were injured in one home. Estimated damage costs were $50,000.
7
2
1928
0200 CST
Blair
None
?
?
0
0
?
8 7 1924 1830 CST Osseo to Black River Falls Jackson 28 300 4 20 F4
  This storm tracked southeast from south of Osseo to Black River Falls (Jackson Co.). One person was killed as a home was leveled and a boy was killed running to the storm cellar near the start of the path. Two people died as farm homes were swept away near the northeast edge of Black River Falls. Damage totaled $200,000 as 50 farms were hit and buildings were unroofed in the town of Northfield (F2). The tornado followed the present route of Interstate 94.
10 3 1903 1350 CST Chatfield 3W to Independence (WI) Buffalo
Olmsted
Winona (MN)
55 300 9 45 F4
  This tornado moved northeast from west of Chatfield (Olmsted County), passing through and devastating St.Charles (Winona County). Seven people were killed and 30 injured as 50 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Homes were also swept away in Wisconsin, where two people died in Independence (Trempealeau Co.) and half of the town was torn apart. Damage for both states totaled $400,000.
5 18 1898 1730 CST Osseo 7W to Augusta 2N Eau Claire 15 200 1 15 F3
  Moved northeast from 7 miles west of Osseo to 2 miles north of Augusta.  About 10 farmhouses were destroyed.  Several of them were leveled to the ground.  A child was killed in one of them near the touchdown point.  A feather bed was carried 2 miles.  This tornado caused an estimated $75,000 damage.
9 21 1894 2300 CST Homer (MN) to Marshland (WI) Winona (MN) 5 ? 0 3 F2
  This tornado moved to the northeast from Homer, Minnesota to Marshland, Wisconsin.  The new town hall was destroyed at Homer as were two homes, a dry goods store, and three barns.  Another barn was destroyed near Marshland.
8
4
1888
2140 CST
?
None
?
?
?
?
?
8
1
1888
2300 CST
?
None
?
?
?
?
?
7
28
1888
1800 CST
?
None
?
?
?
?
?
7
22
1884
1230 CST
?
None
?
?
?
?
?
10 8 1883 2355 CST Arcadia 6E None 4 500 0 5 F2
  Moved northeast passing 6 miles east of Arcadia.  Two farmhouses were destroyed and many barns were wrecked on the upper side of the North Creek Valley.  Four horses were killed in one of the many barns that were swept away.  There was a "deafening roar and a sulphuric odor." 
* The data in this table came from Storm Data, Significant Tornadoes--1680-1991 by Thomas P. Grazulis, and Wisconsin Tornado Database 1950-2000 Geographic Techniques Report No. ST-WTDB01.
 ** Injuries and Deaths are for the entire tornado track.


Last Updated Monday, July 20, 2020 - Jeff Boyne