1984 Barneveld tornado facts for kids
The 1984 Barneveld tornado was a very powerful storm that hit the small village of Barneveld, Wisconsin on June 8, 1984. This tornado caused a lot of damage and was a major event in the history of the area.
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What Happened Before the Storm?
On the afternoon of June 7, 1984, a series of tornadoes began to form. These storms first appeared across states like North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. Sadly, some people lost their lives in Missouri and Iowa due to these early tornadoes.
As the evening went on, the severe weather moved towards Wisconsin. Around 11:00 p.m. CDT, a tornado watch was issued for the area. This meant that conditions were right for tornadoes to form. However, many people in Barneveld had already gone to bed, unaware of the danger heading their way.
The Supercell Storm Arrives
A very strong type of thunderstorm, called a supercell, was responsible for these tornadoes. This supercell had already created a tornado in Iowa earlier that night. It then moved into Wisconsin from the border of Iowa and Illinois around midnight.
At 12:30 a.m., the first tornado from this storm touched down in Lafayette County, Wisconsin. Just 11 minutes later, at 12:41 a.m., the powerful tornado reached Barneveld.
The Moment of Impact
As the tornado hit, a bright flash of lightning lit up the night sky. This was followed by a very loud clap of thunder. The lightning strike caused the power to go out across the village. This sudden darkness and loud noise woke up many residents.
The tornado then moved through Barneveld, causing widespread destruction. Other tornadoes also formed and moved across the region before all the storms finally ended after 3:00 a.m. CDT.
The Tornado's Power and Impact
The Barneveld tornado was incredibly strong. It was rated an F5 on the Fujita scale. The F5 rating is the highest possible, meaning the tornado had winds over 260 miles per hour!
This powerful storm caused a lot of harm. Nine people sadly died, and about 200 others were injured. The tornado also caused a huge amount of damage, estimated at $25 million. This was a very large amount of money at the time.
The 1984 Barneveld tornado was the last F5 tornado to happen at night in the United States for many years. Another night-time F5 tornado didn't occur until April 1998, in Birmingham, Alabama.
