Tornado in St. Louis: EF2 twister confirmed in Wisconsin during Midwest storms
The National Weather Service confirmed a strong EF2 tornado in western Wisconsin, while a damaging twister struck downtown St. Louis Friday amid a broader severe weather outbreak across the Midwest and South.
Minneapolis dodged a tornado on Thursday, but St. Louis wasn’t as fortunate on Friday. National Weather Service (NWS) teams confirmed that a tornado which touched down in western Wisconsin has been rated as an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, indicating strong winds and significant damage.
This event is part of a larger severe weather outbreak impacting the Midwest and parts of the South. While Minneapolis experienced only a tornado warning without any touchdown, states like Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee reported damaging storms, with St. Louis hit directly by a large tornado.
EF2 Tornado in Western Wisconsin Confirmed
The tornado that touched down Thursday just southeast of New Richmond, Wisconsin, has been given a preliminary EF2 rating by the NWS. The EF2 rating based on windspeed of 111 to 135 mph, could occur thunderstorms producing tornadoes that can tear roofs off of homes, uproot trees and inflict damage to infrastructure. The tornado touched down northwest of Hammond in St. Croix County.
The damage assessments are still ongoing, and the NWS reported that additional information will be provided as the investigation progresses. Another tornado was confirmed near Benson in west-central Minnesota, though damage is still being assessed there.
St. Louis tornado damages city center
On Friday afternoon, tornadoes in St. Louis, Missouri produced reports of damage across the city as large tornadoes traveled through portions of the city. The first reports were of structural damage in residential neighborhoods and commercial buildings, and there will be more thorough assessments from emergency management once safe enough.
This storm was part of a larger outbreak that occurred in several states across the central U.S. While NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) states that most tornadoes are weak, a large tornado, like the EF2 in Wisconsin and St. Louis tornadoes, like to survive longer than 20 minutes are impactful. The active pattern continues to be monitored by officials.
