June 23, 2004 Tornadoes in Central and East-Central Wisconsin

Tornadoes Over Central Wisconsin and the Fox Valley - June 23, 2004

A deepening low pressure system entered the state in the early evening hours of June 23, 2004 dragging a cold front with it. Thunderstorms formed into a bow echo west of the area, then intensified and became tornadic as they moved farther east along a warm front. Five tornadoes formed over Central Wisconsin and the Fox Valley during the evening hours. Three of the tornadoes skipped along the ground for miles. Two touched down only briefly.

Radar Loop of the Event

An animation of the storms from 6:59 to 9:48 p.m. CDT

Click for radar loop of base reflectivity.

Map of Storm Reports Across the Region

Pictures of the Storm
(Click images for larger view)

	View of mammatus clouds when the storm was in Waupaca county. This picture was taken in Readfield by Carol Bigalke.
	Picture of tornado near Kaukauna (Outagamie county), taken around 9 pm. Photo by Jeff Vandeleygraaf.

Damage Photos from Portage and Waupaca Counties
(Click images for larger view)

	A closer look at the tree damage as trees are snapped in half with debris littering the ground. This damage was 1.5 miles southwest of Lind Center in Waupaca County.
	Roof blown off a house on Crystal Lake with garage foundation in the foreground.

	Collapsed barn on Radley Road.
	Portion of Radley Road scoured out by the tornado near Highway 22.
	Damage in Portage County north of Almond.

Damage Photos from Outagamie County
(Click images for larger view)

	Sonoco Products/WOW Logistics/Resource One industrial building - most of roof of 200,000 sq. ft. building ripped off. Steel beams bent on southwest side of building.

	Warm Sensations spa company building and warehouse building to the north - heavily damaged. This area is next to the Kaukauna water tower.
	Orv's Pizza on Highway 55 - 2" by 6" board thrown into building as missile.
	Corner of Van de Hey and Sherry - a lot of tree and home damage in this neighborhood.

Storm Damage Surveys

...RESULTS OF STORM DAMAGE SURVEY IN PORTAGE AND WAUPACA COUNTIES...

A STORM SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREEN
BAY FOUND EVIDENCE OF 3 TORNADOES IN PORTAGE AND WAUPACA COUNTIES. THERE
WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES OR FATALITIES WITH ANY OF THESE STORMS. HERE
IS SOME INFORMATION ABOUT EACH OF THE CONFIRMED TORNADOES.

LOCATION: WHITING (PORTAGE COUNTY)
FUJITA RATING: F0 (APPROX 40-50 MPH)
WIDTH: 10 YARDS
PATH LENGTH: BRIEF TOUCHDOWN
TIME: 747 PM CDT

DAMAGE DESCRIPTION: ONLY VERY MINOR TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED IN AN
INDUSTRIAL PARK JUST NE OF THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 39 AND COUNTY HH.
AN EYEWITNESS DURING THE EVENT DID NOT SPECIFICALLY SEE A FUNNEL,
BUT OBSERVED WATER BEING SUCKED UP OUT OF A POND NEAR THE LANDS END
CORPORATE BUILDING. THE DOORS TO THE OFFICE WERE ALSO SUCKED OPEN AT
THE SAME TIME. 

LOCATION: 3 NNW ALMOND TO 3 NNE ALMOND (PORTAGE COUNTY)
FUJITA RATING: F1 (APPROX 80 MPH WINDS)
WIDTH: 25 YARDS
PATH LENGTH: 1.5 MILES
TIME: 746-748 PM CDT

DAMAGE DESCRIPTION: APPROXIMATELY $100,000 DAMAGE. HOME AT THE
INTERSECTION OF 4TH STREET AND 4TH AVENUE HAD ROOF DAMAGE, SEVERAL TREES
DOWN AND A FENCE KNOCKED OVER. ANOTHER RESIDENCE FARTHER TO THE EAST HAD
DAMAGE TO SOME OUTBUILDINGS.

LOCATION: 3 SE BLAINE (SE PORTAGE COUNTY) TO 1.5 SW LIND CENTER (SW
WAUPACA COUNTY)
FUJITA RATING: F1-F2 (APPROX 110-120 MPH WINDS)
WIDTH: 125 YARDS
PATH LENGTH: 10 MILES (NOT CONTINUOUS)
TIME: 753-806 PM CDT

DAMAGE DESCRIPTION: THE WESTERN EDGE OF DAMAGE PATH WAS NEAR 16TH ROAD
IN SE PORTAGE COUNTY, WHERE TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN AND AN IRRIGATION
SYSTEM WAS TOPPLED. THE TORNADO TRACKED EAST INTO SW WAUPACA COUNTY,
MOVED JUST SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF DAYTON AND SUHS ROADS, CROSSED
HWY 22 AND TORE A PATH RIGHT ALONG RADLEY ROAD TO JUST EAST OF HWY K.
THE TORNADO CONTINUED AN INTERMITTENT PATH FARTHER EAST, THEN DISSIPATED
SOUTH OF LIND CENTER. THE WORST DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG RADLEY ROAD, WHERE
ASPHALT WAS SCOURED OFF THE ROAD, A BARN DEMOLISHED, A SHEET METAL
OUTBUILDING DAMAGED, 3 SHEEP KILLED, A ROOF TORN OFF OF A HOME AND
GARAGE DEMOLISHED, A SEMI TRAILER MOVED ABOUT 50 FEET AND TURNED ON ITS
SIDE AND TWO HAY WAGONS BLOWN UP AGAINST TREES. THE DAMAGE PATH ENDED
APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES SW OF LIND CENTER, WHERE NUMEROUS TREES WERE
SNAPPED OFF OR UPROOTED ON A SMALL HILL. DEBRIS FROM THIS STORM WAS
DROPPED AS FAR EAST AS THE FREMONT AREA.

...RESULTS OF STORM DAMAGE SURVEY IN OUTAGAMIE AND BROWN COUNTIES...

A STORM SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREEN
BAY FOUND EVIDENCE OF ONE TORNADO IN OUTAGAMIE COUNTY AND A WEAK TORNADO
IN BROWN COUNTY. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES OR FATALITIES WITH ANY OF
THE STORMS IN EITHER COUNTY. HERE IS SOME INFORMATION FROM THE STORM
SURVEY.

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY

ONE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN AT LEAST FOUR LOCATIONS ALONG A WEST TO EAST
PATH FROM THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS 41 AND N IN LITTLE CHUTE TO
KAUKAUNA. THE DAMAGE VARIED IN INTENSITY FROM F0 (40-72 MPH WINDS) TO F1
(73-112 MPH WINDS). THE DAMAGE PATH OCCURRED OVER A LENGTH OF ABOUT 3.5
MILES AND A WIDTH VARYING FROM ABOUT 25 TO 100 YARDS.

THE DAMAGE INCLUDED PARTIAL TO SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF ROOFS BLOWN OFF
OF SOME RESIDENTIAL AND SEVERAL COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. SOME SHEDS AND AN
OLD BARN WERE DESTROYED. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF MUCH DEBRIS HURLED AT
BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO. A 2 X 6 BOARD WAS
EVEN OBSERVED TO HAVE BEEN HURLED THROUGH THE EXTERIOR WALL OF A
METAL BUILDING. SOME TRUCK TRAILERS WERE OBSERVED TO HAVE BEEN FLIPPED
EITHER ON THEIR SIDES OR OVER COMPLETELY...EVEN FLIPPED AND LIFTED ONTO
OTHER VEHICLES IN ONE INSTANCE. SOME LARGE TREES WERE ALSO EITHER TOPPED
OR LARGELY UPROOTED AND TWISTED.

BROWN COUNTY

ISOLATED TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN BY A VERY WEAK AND BRIEF TORNADO ON THE 
WEST SIDE OF GREEN BAY NEAR NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

This page was developed by Phil Kurimski, Forecaster, NWS Green Bay.
Updated 7/2/04 by Jeff Last, Warning Coordination Meteorologist.