1995 Barron tornado
Clockwise from top: View of the tornado near peak intensity as it moved through Barron; the track of the F5 tornado during the outbreak; aerial shot of the devastation within Barron; F5 damage to a well-built home in Barron; radar imagery of the tornado at peak intensity with a debris ball present
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| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 3, 1995, 5:27 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Dissipated | June 3, 1995, 5:56 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Duration | 29 minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Max width | 1,232 yards (0.7 mi; 1 km) |
| Path length | 16.9 miles (27.2 km) |
| Highest winds | >260 mph (420 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 27 |
| Injuries | 180 |
| Damage | $210 million (1995 USD) $462 million (2026 USD) |
| Areas affected | Barron County in Wisconsin, particularly the city of Barron |
Part of the tornado outbreak of June 3, 1995 and tornadoes of 1995 | |
The 1995 Barron tornado was a large and extremely violent F5 tornado that ravaged the city of Barron, Wisconsin during the late afternoon hours of June 3, 1995. The tornado caused catastrophic damage as it moved through the southwestern, central, and northeastern portions of the city, sweeping numerous well-built homes from their foundations, destroying commercial and industrial buildings, and leaving a broad swath of extreme damage through the community. Following a joint damage survey, the National Weather Service rated the tornado F5 on the Fujita scale.
The tornado killed 27 people, injured 180 others, and caused approximately US$210 million (1995 USD) in damage. It remained on the ground for 16.9 miles (27.2 km) and reached a maximum width of 0.7 miles (1 km). It was the strongest and deadliest tornado of the June 3, 1995 Wisconsin tornado outbreak, which produced 13 confirmed tornadoes across northwestern Wisconsin, including one F4 tornado that struck Cumberland, and the Barron F5.
The Barron tornado remains one of the most destructive tornadoes in Wisconsin history and one of the few tornadoes in the state to receive an F5 rating. It was the only F5 tornado documented in the United States during 1995.
Meteorological synopsis
On June 3, 1995, a strong area of low pressure moved eastward across the Upper Midwest, drawing warm, humid air northward into eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Throughout the afternoon, atmospheric instability increased as temperatures rose into the lower 80s °F (around 28 °C). At the same time, increasing winds aloft associated with an approaching upper-level disturbance created favorable conditions for severe thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms began developing during the late afternoon over eastern Minnesota before moving northeastward into Wisconsin. Several storms quickly became supercells capable of producing large hail, damaging straight-line winds, and tornadoes. Over the course of the evening, five long-lived supercells produced 13 confirmed tornadoes across northwestern Wisconsin, including three F0 tornadoes, three F1 tornadoes, three F2 tornadoes, two F3 tornadoes, one F4 tornado, and the violent F5 tornado that devastated Barron.
The outbreak gradually came to an end during the evening as the storms moved farther northeast into a more stable air mass.
Tornado summary
The June 3, 1995 tornado outbreak began during the late afternoon as discrete supercell thunderstorms moved northeastward across northwestern Wisconsin. The first tornado touched down shortly after 4:30 p.m. CDT, with additional tornadoes developing over the next several hours as five persistent supercells tracked across the region. Most of the tornadoes occurred in rural areas, damaging farms, outbuildings, trees, and power lines, though several communities sustained significant damage.
In total, 13 tornadoes were confirmed during the outbreak, consisting of three F0 tornadoes, three F1 tornadoes, three F2 tornadoes, two F3 tornadoes, one F4 tornado, and one F5 tornado. The strongest tornado of the outbreak developed southwest of Barron at approximately 5:27 p.m. CDT and rapidly intensified as it approached the city. The tornado reached F5 intensity while moving through Barron, where numerous homes were swept from their foundations and extensive residential, commercial, and industrial damage occurred. After leaving the city, the tornado gradually weakened before dissipating northeast of Barron at approximately 5:56 p.m. CDT after traveling 16.9 miles (27.2 km).
A second violent tornado, rated F4, occurred elsewhere during the outbreak, causing major damage but remaining below the intensity of the Barron tornado. The remaining tornadoes ranged from F0 to F3 and collectively caused additional damage across Barron and surrounding counties before the outbreak ended during the evening hours.
Aftermath
Search and rescue operations began immediately after the tornado lifted northeast of Barron. Local police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and volunteers worked through the evening and overnight hours to search collapsed homes and businesses for survivors. Mutual aid was requested from neighboring communities as roads were blocked by fallen trees, debris, and downed power lines.
The American Red Cross established temporary shelters for displaced residents, while local schools and churches served as emergency assistance centers. Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed, leaving many families without shelter. Utility crews worked for several days to restore electricity, telephone service, and other essential infrastructure to affected areas.
In the days following the disaster, state and federal officials surveyed the damage throughout Barron County. The hardest-hit neighborhoods in Barron sustained catastrophic losses, with numerous homes requiring complete reconstruction. Businesses throughout the city also suffered extensive damage, resulting in significant economic losses and a lengthy recovery effort.
Cleanup operations continued throughout the summer of 1995 as damaged structures were demolished and debris was removed. Reconstruction of homes, businesses, and public infrastructure took several years. The tornado remains one of the costliest and deadliest natural disasters in Wisconsin history and is remembered as one of the strongest tornadoes ever documented in the state.
See also
- List of F5, EF5, and IF5 tornadoes
- Tornado outbreak of June 3, 1995
- Tornadoes of 1995
- 1995 Cumberland tornado – an F4 tornado that struck the same county during the outbreak
- 1992 Chandler–Lake Wilson tornado – A natural historical comparison, since it was the previous Upper Midwest F5 and another violent northern-plains/Upper Midwest tornado