Storm Record · Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Sauk, Waukesha Counties
June 7, 2008: Straight-line wind and tornadoes across six counties
3″
Largest hail
75
Strongest gust
11
Tornadoes
30
NWS reports
What the National Weather Service recorded
A slow-moving surface boundary, nearly parallel with the mid-level flow affected southern Wisconsin during the period of June 7th through June 9th. A strengthening low-level jet and strong moisture advection produced several rounds of thunderstorms during the period in the vicinity of this boundary. The atmosphere was very moist with precipitable water values around 2 inches. Low to mid-level wind flow supported training of flood-producing thunderstorms. There was sufficient vertical wind shear to allow for supercell development that resulted in 10 tornadoes spinning up in south-central and southeast Wisconsin on June 7th. A weak cool front pushed through southern Wisconsin late on the 8th/early on the 9th, finally ending the heavy rainfall.||During the evening of June 7th, several roads near STH 89 south of Columbus were washed out. STH 16 east of Columbus closed on June 8th due to high waters. A state-of-emergency was declared in Milwaukee County the evening of June 7th due to widespread flash flooding, and Milwaukee Mitchell Field was close for several hours due to high water levels.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database · episode 19151
Every report, in the Weather Service's words
Where It Hit
| Location | County | Hazard | Size | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Dells | Columbia | Wind | 75 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds knocked down large trees and power-lines, and also knocked over a temporary canopy. |
| La Valle (2 NW) | Sauk | Wind | 75 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds knocked down large trees and power-lines. |
| Belleville | Dane | Wind | 75 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds gusts knocked down several large trees and power-lines. |
| Pardeeville | Columbia | Wind | 72 mph wind | |
| Waukesha Co Arpt | Waukesha | Wind | 70 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds gusts knocked down several large trees. |
| Oregon | Dane | Wind | 64 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds gusts knocked down several large trees onto STH Hwy 14 south of Oregon. |
| Stoughton (2 N) | Dane | Wind | 64 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds gusts knocked down several large trees. |
| Randolph | Dodge | Wind | 64 mph wind | Trees down. Some structural damage. |
| Portage (.4 W) | Columbia | Wind | 64 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds knocked down large trees and power-lines. |
| Randolph | Dodge | Wind | 60 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds gusts knocked down several large trees. |
| Rio (4 N) | Columbia | Wind | 58 mph wind | Powerful thunderstorm winds knocked down large trees and power-lines. One injury reported at Rio campground when tree branches hit a person. |
| Hartland (2 SSW) | Waukesha | Hail | 3" hail | Hail size ranged from 0.75 to 3.00 inches in diameter. |
| Waukesha Co Arpt | Waukesha | Hail | 2" hail | Large hail of 1 to 2 inches in diameter was reported from Shelly Lynn Road to CTH G. No damage reports were available. |
| Oconomowoc | Waukesha | Hail | 1.75" hail | Hail size ranged from 1.00 to 1.75 inches in diameter. |
| La Valle | Sauk | Hail | 1" hail | Diameters of hail stones ranged from 0.88 to 1.00 inch. |
| Waterloo (.5 N) | Jefferson | Hail | 1" hail | |
| Downtown Waukesha | Waukesha | Hail | 1" hail | |
| Helenville | Jefferson | Hail | 0.88" hail | |
| Ft Atkinson (7 W) | Jefferson | Hail | 0.75" hail | |
| Plain (1.77 SW) | Sauk | Tornado | EF0 | This tornado lasted less than a minute and resulted in only some minor tree damage. The starting and ending locations, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 43.26431/-90.07778 and 43.26410/-90.07033, respectively. DI #27 (TH), DOD2. Maximum wind speed about 80 mph. Average path width was about 15 yards. |
| Pardeeville (.88 ENE) | Columbia | Tornado | EF2 | This tornado was extremely wide since the thunderstorm cloud base was very low and the meso-cyclone that is usually aloft was well-formed all the way to the ground. Within a broad 1 to 2 mile wide area of EF0 to EF1 damage, there were several small swaths of EF2 damage due to multiple votices. The accompanying graphic shows this effect. With respect to residential homes this tornado resulted in very minor damage to 150, minor damage to 30, major damage to 10, and 2 were destroyed (total residential damage of $2 million). With respect to agricultural buildings ($500K in total damage), this tornado resulted in minor damage to 20, and major damage to 2 buildings (inlcuding silos). Tens of thousands of trees were uprooted or chewed-up, and many power-lines and power-poles were either toppled or damaged. About 4000 to 6000 trees on a tree farm were destroyed at a location about 3 miles east-southeast of Pardeeville. This tree-farm loss was treated as a crop loss. Additionally, some corn and soybean crops were damaged. This tornado started just southeast of the intersection of CTH P and Pardeeville Road, and moved southeastward for about 4 miles and then traveled east-southeast to end just northeast of the western intersection of STH 146 and CTH A. The specific starting point and ending point lat/long numbers were 43.53333/-89.26306 and 43.49556/-89.09878, respectively. Additional mid-point pairs of number include: 43.51603/-8922394, 43.50728/-89.20151, and 43.50208/-89.17679. DI#24 (ELT), DOD4. The wind speeds were estimated at about 120 mph. Average path length was about 1760 yards (1 mile). |
| Fall River (2.86 NE) | Columbia | Tornado | EF0 | This weak tornado started in Columbia County, northeast of the village of Fall River near the county line, just northwest of the intersection of Raven Road and Hemling Road. It moved southeastward and crossed into Dodge County where a creek crosses the county line just southeast of Paul Road. Minor tree damage was noted in Columbia County. The starting and ending locations for the Columbia County segment, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 43.41413/-89.01782 and 43.41086/-89.00504. DI#27 (TH), DOD2. Wind speeds estimated at 65 mph. Average path width was about 15 yards. |
| Aztalan (.61 ENE) | Jefferson | Tornado | EF0 | This brief tornado lasted less than a minute, and resulted in only minor tree branch damage. The starting and ending locations, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 43.0901/-89.15824 and 43.09347/-89.15033, respectively. DI #28 (TS), DOD2. Maximum wind speed about 75 mph. Average path width was about 30 yards. |
| Eagle (1.51 S) | Waukesha | Tornado | EF0 | A brief tornado lasting less than a minute was spotted by the Eagle Police Department and Fire Department. Damage was restricted to broken tree branches. The starting and ending locations, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 42.85852/-88.47545 and 42.85973/-88.47364, respectively. DI #28 (TS), DOD2. Maximum wind speed about 75 mph. |
| Token Creek (1.45 NE) | Dane | Tornado | EF0 | This brief tornado lasted less than a minute, and resulted in only minor tree branch damage. The starting and ending locations, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 43.21357/-89.25815 and 43.21372/-89.25403, respectively. DI #28 (TS), DOD2. Maximum wind speed about 75 mph. Average path width was about 15 yards. |
| Stoughton (1.73 W) | Dane | Tornado | EF1 | This tornado moved from just west of Hults Road on the far western part of Stoughton northeast to a point northwest of the intersection of CTH B and CTH N. Based on the observed damage, it was probably a multiple-vortex tornado. In the Stoughton area, with respect to residential homes, it resulted in very minor damage to 24 homes, minor damage to 21 homes, and major damage to 3 homes. Additionally, 1 church sustained major damage, and 1 tabacco shed was destroyed. Total estimated property damage (roofs, siding, walls, windows) in the Stoughton area was $409,000. In the Civil town of Pleasant Springs, 12 homes sustained minor damage estimated at about $20,000. The starting and ending locations in Dodge County, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 42.92395/-89.25369 and 42.96431/-89.20166, respectively. DI #2 (FR12), DOD4. Maximum wind speed about 90-95 mph. Average path width about 75 yards. |
| Cottage Grove Arpt (1.29 ESE) | Dane | Tornado | EF0 | This brief tornado lasted less than a minute, and resulted in only minor tree branch damage. The starting and ending locations, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 43.0901/-89.15824 and 43.09347/-89.15033, respectively. DI #28 (TS), DOD2. Maximum wind speed about 75 mph. Average path width was about 15 yards. |
| Cambria (5.8 SE) | Columbia | Tornado | EF0 | This tornado started in Columbia County about 6 miles southeast of Cambria, or about 3 miles south of Randolph, or about 1/3 mile west of the intersection of CTH CD and Court Road. This tornado crossed into Dodge County where Beaver Creek crosses the county line Only minor tree damage was noted in Columbia County. The starting and ending locations for the Columbia County segment, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 43.49298/-89.01509 and 43.49473/-89.00625. DI#28 (TS), DOD2. Wind speeds estimated at 75 mph. Average path width was about 15 yards. |
| Lost Lake (2.72 S) | Dodge | Tornado | EF0 | This weak Dodge County tornado started in Columbia County, northeast of Fall River near the county line. It moved southeast and entered Dodge County where a creek crosses the county line about 1/2 mile north-northwest of the intersection of STH 73 and CTH D. This tornado resulted in only minor tree damage in Dodge County. The starting and ending locations for the Dodge County segment, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 43.41086/-89.00504 and 43.40230/-88.97749. DI#27 (TH), DOD2. Wind speeds estimated at 65 mph. Average path width was about 15 yards. |
| South Randolph (.48 SW) | Dodge | Tornado | EF1 | This Dodge County tornado started in Columbia County, about 6 miles southeast of Cambria, and crossed into Dodge County where Beaver Creek crosses the county line. It moved east-northeast to point where CTH FW makes its closest approach to Rakes Bay. It then dissipated over the middle of Rakes Bay. In Dodge County, a home was damaged, a barn was severely damaged, and the top part of a silo was knocked off. Many large trees were uprooted and branched broken off. Also, some corn and soybean fields were damaged. The starting and ending locations for the Dodge County segment, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 43.49473/-89.00625 and 43.50617/-88.96057. DI#1 (SBO), DOD5. Wind speeds estimated at 95 mph. Average path width of the Dodge County segment was about 50 yards. |
Service areas this storm touched