Tornado touches down in Menominee, Oconto counties

A tornado touched down near Keshena and stayed on the ground for nearly 9 miles when severe thunderstorms swept across much of northeast Wisconsin late June 24 into the early morning hours of June 25.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Green Bay office determined the EF1 tornado was on the ground for five minutes starting at 2:27 a.m. June 25. Estimated peak winds were 98 miles per hour.

Officials said the tornado was on the ground for 8.9 miles from Keshena in Menominee County to Berry Lake in Oconto County. The maximum width of the tornado was 90 yards.

“A tornado developed along Highway 55 northwest of Keshena, then tracked east-southeast crossing the Legend Lake area and Berry Lake before lifting,” according to the NWS. “Multiple trees were snapped and uprooted along the path with several campers flipped at a campground on the east shore of Berry Lake. There was also damage to a residence along the north shore of Berry Lake.”

Moshawquit Lake resident Isaac Follett was among those who lost power and had property damage.

“I went to the room above our garage and through the flashes of lighting saw what looked to be the large pine tree that was by the lake nearly pressed up to the window. I used by phone to try and take a picture to get a better look, and the lighting was so intense that I could see clearly in the photo a mile across Moshawquit Lake at 3:20 a.m.,” he said. “I then went outside with a flashlight to take a look at the rest of what had happened.

“Our neighbors were also all emerging from their homes, and we were together greeted with an abundance of destruction. Trees were uprooted and thrown all over the place. Every house except mine had trees on them. My metal roof was peeled back, leaving only exposed plywood.”

It was quickly confirmed that everyone along Emile Court was OK, and there were no injuries.

Follett and his fatter, Scott, left the scene at 4 a.m. for Apple Creek Whitetails.

“We found two points in our preserve that looked like a tornado may have gone through, one area over on (County Road) HH and the other by County Road R,” Follett said. “There was a tractor shed and a grain silo that sustained some damage both from trees and wind, and in another area, there is a path about 60 yards wide currently at a unknown length that is a path of destruction leaving many of the trees snapped or uprooted.”

Other than a few snapped branches, the restaurant and production facility, Primal Eats, was not severely affected by the storm.

Krueger’s Campground owner David Krueger was busy the next morning cleaning up after the storm.

“We were fortunate. The campers that tipped, nobody was in them,” Krueger told WBAY-TV. “So, nobody got hurt or anything; that was good. And then it’s just a process of cleaning up. Pretty much straight-forward. Fix the damage and then go on.”

Storms developed across western Wisconsin the night of June 24, consolidated and then raced southeast across the area between midnight and 5 a.m. June 25, NWS officials said. A few storms developed ahead of the line, producing some large hail and brief gusty winds as well.

Several residents north of Shawano Lake reported hail.

The main line of storms had a forward speed of 40-70 mph. The most concentrated wind damage was reported from Lincoln County to Manitowoc County.

The storms uprooted and knocked down trees and power lines, causing thousands of customers to lose power.

Thousands of people in Shawano, Menominee and Oconto counties suffered power outages, with many waiting until the next day for their power to be reconnected.

For Follett and his neighbors, power was finally restored 36 hours after the storm ravaged the area.

The houses on Emile Court that were previously nestled into a very wooded area were now fully exposed. Most of the trees are now gone.

“We have been making quick work of removal of the tornado’s mess,” Follett said the afternoon of June 28. “Many of the downed trees have been hauled away, sod has been laid where trees used to live, and my roof is being actively repaired.”

Minor flooding was also reported across the area.

The NWS reported that tornadoes are ranked from EF0 to EF6.

EF0 tornadoes are weak with wind speeds of 65-85 mph. The local tornado was a moderate EF1 with wind speeds of 86-110 mph.

Other levels of activity are EF2, significant, 111-135 mph winds; EF3, severe, 136-165 mph; EF4, extreme, 166-200; and EF6, catastrophic, with winds of 200 mph or more.

kpasson@newmedia-wi.com