 F5 tornado damage inBarneveld, Wisconsin | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | ~12 hours |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 46 |
| Maximum rating | F5 tornado |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 13 |
| Injuries | 332 |
| Damage | $40 million in Wisconsin alone (1984USD)[1] $121 million (2025 USD) |
| Areas affected | Midwestern United States |
Part of thetornado outbreaks of 1984 | |
On June 7–8, 1984, a significant severe weather andtornado event took place across the central United States fromNorth Dakota toKansas. Thetornado outbreak produced several significant tornadoes including anF5 tornado[2][3] which traveled throughBarneveld, Wisconsin, in the early hours of June 8. The entire outbreak killed at least 13 people across three states including 9 in Barneveld alone.[2]
Alow-pressure system entered the Midwestern United States on June 7, 1984, and intensified while bringing a surge of moist and humid air coming from theGulf of Mexico. After most of the affected areas were hit by amesoscale convective complex earlier during the morning of June 7, the unstable atmosphere, as well aswind shear and highconvective available potential energy (CAPE), produced a favorable environment for the development of extensivesevere weather with possible tornadoes.[4] Starting at around mid-afternoon, it started to produce several tornadoes across southernMinnesota and northwestern and southernIowa including three F3s and a long-track F4 which traveled over 130 mi (210 km) from extreme northernMissouri to southwest ofIowa City. That tornado killed 3 people including one in Missouri'sHarrison County. Another person was killed inRinggold County in Iowa by an F2 tornado at around 9:00 pmCDT. Activity continued through the overnight hours as a new cluster of storms developed acrossWisconsin near the Iowa–Illinois borders and produced strong tornadoes including the Barneveld tornado up until the early morning hours of June 8, 1984, before dissipating. Straight-line winds in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h) and very large hail were also reported in eastern Iowa from the storm that went on to drop the tornado in Barneveld, Wisconsin.
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 13 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 46 |
| F# | Location | County | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | SW ofKingsley | Woodbury,Plymouth | Iowa | 20:45–21:03 | 7 mi (11 km) | A tornado badly damaged a trio of barns, along with several outbuildings, but did little damage to farmhouses.[5] |
| F2 | W ofCherokee | Cherokee | Iowa | 21:14–21:33 | 10 mi (16 km) | This tornado likely formed in the same storm as the last, extensively damaging trees and outbuildings. Tornado expertThomas P. Grazulis did not rate it F2 or stronger.[2][5] |
| F2 | N ofGalva | Ida | Iowa | 21:42–22:10 | 16 mi (26 km) | This tornado tore roofing off a few homes and damaged a grain elevator, causing an injury. Grazulis did not rate it F2 or stronger.[2][5] |
| F2 | NW ofGrant to SE ofAnita | Cass | Iowa | 21:43–? | 23 mi (37 km) | A strong tornado struck 29 farms, causing severe damage to homes, outbuildings, and farm equipment; it also wrecked a fertilizer plant. Eight people were injured.[2][5] |
| F1 | E ofPrimghar | O'Brien | Iowa | 22:04–22:15 | 6 mi (9.7 km) | This tornado leveled a century-old barn and downed many trees, while also lifting feed bins, corncribs, hog houses, and milk sheds.[5] |
| F2 | E ofIda Grove | Ida | Iowa | 22:10–22:33 | 12 mi (19 km) | A tornado tossed a pair of grain bins across a road, one of which smashed the roofs of a few cars, and damaged the roof and interior of a café. Grazulis did not rate it F2 or stronger.[2][5] |
| F2 | N ofStorm Lake | Buena Vista | Iowa | 22:12–22:20 | 4 mi (6.4 km) | Outbuildings were destroyed on several farms and homes incurred sizeable damage. Three injuries occurred.[2][5] |
| F2 | Laurens toRodman | Pocahontas,Palo Alto | Iowa | 22:17–22:57 | 25 mi (40 km) | Amultiple-vortex tornado tore the roof off of a warehouse, overturned a mobile home, severely damaged farmhouses, killed livestock, and destroyed outbuildings. Debris, including glass, pierced carpet and furniture. A few people were injured.[2][5] |
| F3 | Clarinda to S ofCorning | Page,Taylor,Adams | Iowa | 22:20–? | 25 mi (40 km) | 25 homes were damaged on the north side of Clarinda, one of which—a well-built house—was destroyed, along with a trailer. 24 outbuildings and sheds were destroyed as well. The tornado also killed livestock. Three people were injured.[2][5] |
| F1 | N ofEverly | Clay | Iowa | 22:23–22:27 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | This tornado damaged the exteriors, windows, and roofs of several homes. It also affected outbuildings.[5] |
| F2 | Spencer area | Clay | Iowa | 22:30–22:32 | 2 mi (3.2 km) | A strong tornado downed power lines and trees, while tearing off the roofs of a few homes. It damaged five homes in all.[2][5] |
| F2 | E ofHavelock | Pocahontas | Iowa | 23:00–23:15 | 8 mi (13 km) | This tornado hit three farms, severely impacting outbuildings—sheds, barns, shelters, and bins. Additionally, it tore roofing off a home, while damaging its floors and foundation. It killed 24 pigs as well.[2][5] |
| F2 | NW ofHardy to N ofDenhart | Humboldt,Kossuth,Hancock | Iowa | 23:15–23:54 | 22 mi (35 km) | Along withdownbursts, this tornado swept through 40 or more farms,severely damaging a number of them[citation needed]. It destroyed a few barns, while damaging outbuildings, equipment, vehicles, bins, and sheds.[2][5] |
| F3 | Burt area | Kossuth | Iowa | 23:15 | 9 mi (14 km) | This tornado hit Burt, inflicting major roof and structural damage on a Presbyterian church there. It also caused a school to sustain roof damage and collapsed a wall on its second floor. Besides, it did substantial damage to 25 homes and destroyed several trailers. Five injuries occurred.[2][5] |
| F2 | SW ofGerman Valley to SW ofScarville | Kossuth,Winnebago | Iowa | 1729 | 21 miles (33.6 km) | A school sustained roof damage and a nearby house lost its roof entirely. A poorly built house was leveled, and another had a 2x4 driven three feet into it. Papers from the unroofed house were found 100 miles away inMinnesota. |
| F2 | SW ofCrystal Lake to SW ofKiester (MN) | Hancock,Winnebago | Iowa | 1745 | 18 miles (29.8 km) | A school and grain elevator in Crystal Lake were damaged, and a large grain bin was destroyed. Barns, sheds, garages, trees, vehicles, a house, and several trailers were damaged as well. |
| F1 | E ofLucas | Lucas | Iowa | 1854 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | |
| F2 | ESE ofMount Ayr to NNW ofKellerton | Ringgold | Iowa | 1945 | 14 miles (23.4 km) | 1 death – Six homes were destroyed and 12 others were damaged. Fatality occurred in a trailer. Three people were injured. |
| F1 | SW ofCorydon | Wayne | Iowa | 2033 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | |
| F2 | N ofKinross to N ofRiverside | Keokuk,Washington,Johnson | Iowa | 2033 | 24 miles (38.4 km) | Damage to trees, outbuildings, vehicles and homes. A church had its windows blown out and most of its roof torn off. 13 homes were damaged in theWindham area and one person was injured. |
| F0 | S ofCarson | Grant | North Dakota | 1530 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | |
| F2 | NW ofBurlington | Ward | North Dakota | 1637 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | |
| F0 | NW ofHamberg | Wells | North Dakota | 1759 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | |
| F2 | S ofPadonia | Brown | Kansas | 1533 | 18 miles (29.8 km) | Five farmhouses, four trailers, and 43 farm buildings were destroyed. 33 other homes and 97 other farm buildings were damaged. Four trucks were overturned on highways nearHiawatha. One indirect fatality occurred as a result of a heart attack. |
| F4 | N ofBrooklyn (MO) to SW ofWindham (IA) | Harrison (MO),Decatur (IA),Wayne (IA),Lucas (IA),Monroe (IA),Mahaska (IA),Keokuk (IA),Iowa (IA) | Missouri | 1745 | 134 miles (214.4 km) | 3 deaths – Numerous barns, mobile homes, and farm houses were completely destroyed. Part of a drive-in movie screen from nearCambria was found nearDerby. Tornado devastated the small community of Wright and produced high-end F4 damage to the northwest side ofDelta. Nearby farms sustained similar devastation. A couple was killed when their car was thrown, and the other fatality occurred in a mobile home. |
| F2 | E ofWinston | Daviess | Missouri | 2130 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | |
| F2 | Jamesport area | Daviess | Missouri | 2200 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Homes, farm buildings, and trailers were damaged or destroyed. One person was injured. |
| F1 | SE ofPawnee City | Pawnee | Nebraska | 1800 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | |
| F1 | E ofAlbert Lea | Freeborn | Minnesota | 1815 | 6 miles (9.6 km) | |
| F3 | NE ofAlbert Lea to W ofEllendale | Freeborn | Minnesota | 1819 | 14 miles (23.4 km) | The Albert Lea Ambulance Service building was destroyed on the south side of town. 13 homes and 4 businesses were destroyed. 52 homes, 8 commercial properties, and 16 farms were damaged as well. Some of the homes were ripped from their foundations. 12 people were injured. |
| F1 | E ofWaldorf | Waseca | Minnesota | 1820 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | |
| F1 | W ofOakland | Freeborn,Steele | Minnesota | 1825 | 10 miles (16 km) | |
| F2 | S ofAustin | Mower | Minnesota | 1836 | 5 miles (8 km) | A bowling alley was badly damaged, where 6 people were injured. A house and a TV repair shop across the street were destroyed. A total of 7 people were injured. |
| F1 | NE ofDouglas | Olmsted | Minnesota | 1915 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | |
| F0 | NW ofWastedo | Goodhue | Minnesota | 1935 | 2.5 miles (4 km) | |
| F2 | NE ofStanley | Chippewa,Clark | Wisconsin | 2100 | 12 miles (19.2 km) | Two barns were flattened and two machine sheds were destroyed. |
| F1 | SE ofPhillips | Price | Wisconsin | 2230 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | |
| F2 | S ofBelmont to E ofMineral Point | Lafayette,Iowa | Wisconsin | 2330 | 11 miles (17.6 km) | Mostly tree damage occurred with this tornado, but a house and outbuildings were destroyed and a house was unroofed. Tornado dissipated just outside Mineral Point. |
| F5 | SSW ofRidgeway toBarneveld toBlack Earth to NW ofDane | Iowa,Dane | Wisconsin | 2341 | 36 miles (57.6 km) | 9 deaths –See section about this tornado – 200 people were injured. |
| F2 | DeForest to S ofSouth Randolph | Dane,Columbia | Wisconsin | 0010 | 18 miles (28.8 km) | Two homes in DeForest had their roofs torn off. 22 grain bins were destroyed as well. |
| F2 | SE ofArlington toRio | Columbia | Wisconsin | 0025 | 16 miles (26.6 km) | A barn, a garage, and sheds were destroyed. |
| F3 | NE ofRio toMarkesan | Columbia,Green Lake | Wisconsin | 0041 | 29 miles (46.4 km) | A house, a trailer, and all outbuildings were destroyed on a farm nearCambria where one person was injured. 6 barns were leveled elsewhere. |
| F1 | W ofColumbus | Columbia | Wisconsin | 0049 | 9 miles (14.4 km) | |
| F2 | Beaver Dam area | Dodge | Wisconsin | 0117 | 11 miles (17.6 km) | $640,000 in damage to 30 buildings in the area. Three barns, one business, and two garages were destroyed. Five homes sustained extensive damage and one person was injured. |
| F2 | N ofHoward | Miner | South Dakota | 2100 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | |
| Sources:Tornado History Project (June 7, 1984)[usurped],Tornado History Project (June 8, 1984) - for Wisconsin data only[usurped], Grazulis (1984) | ||||||
 Track of the Barneveld tornado | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 8, 1984, 12:41 am. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | June 8, 1984, 1:40 am. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 59 minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on theFujita scale | |
| Highest winds | >261 mph |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 9 |
| Injuries | 200 |
| Damage | ≥$25 million (1984USD) ≥$75.7 million (2025 USD) |
As the tornado activity calmed down across Iowa and Minnesota in which numerous strong to severe tornadoes struck those areas from mid-afternoon to mid-evening, the severe weather shifted east towards Wisconsin after dark where a tornado watch was issued at about 11:00 pm CDT. By this time, most of the residents ofBarneveld had gone to bed and were unaware of the tornado watch. Asupercellthunderstorm, which affected portions of southeastern Iowa with a few tornadoes at around 9:00 pm CDT before weakening and intensifying shortly after, entered Wisconsin from the Iowa/Illinois border at around 12:00 am CDT nearDubuque. Shortly after 12:30 am CDT, June 8, it produced its first tornado nearBelmont inLafayette County and lifted nearMineral Point inIowa County about fifteen miles southwest of Barneveld.
A few minutes later, this storm system produced one of the few F5 tornadoes to hit Wisconsin, developing northeast of Mineral Point (five to six miles southwest of Barneveld). At 12:41 am CDT this F5 tornado drove through the center of Barneveld in full force, finally dissipating in northernDane County around 1:40 am CDT after traveling 36 miles (58 kilometers) for 59 minutes.[6] A stronglightning strike cut the electricity to the town just a few minutes before the tornado struck Barneveld, but it was followed by a deafening clap ofthunder that awakened many residents. (It is said that the loss of power prevented thetornado siren from being activated prior to its arrival; in actuality, the town did not have atornado siren that differed from the siren used to activate the town's volunteer fire and EMT squad. If the siren had been activated, the residents would not have known it was a tornado warning.) At its peak, the tornado was nearly a quarter-mile wide. Other tornadoes rated from F1 to F3 touched down fromColumbia County toDodge County until after 3:00 am CDT when activity finally weakened.
The tornado was responsible for nine deaths and nearly 200 injuries in Barneveld while causing about $25 million in damage. In total, all three churches (the Congregational United Church of Christ, the Lutheran Church, and the Roman Catholic Church), 93 homes and 17 out of the 18 businesses in town (including the library, municipal building, fire station, bank, and post office) were all destroyed. The village's water tower, though damaged, was not toppled by the winds. In addition, 64 other homes were badly damaged. The F5 damage occurred at a cul-de-sac on the northeast side of town. A cluster of newly built homes were completely swept away at this location. Trees were debarked and vehicles were thrown and mangled.[7] Some of the debris including paperwork was later found about 135 miles away from the village. Eight homes were also destroyed inBlack Earth, and 24 additional homes were destroyed between Barneveld and Black Earth. Other tornadoes in Wisconsin caused two additional injuries and about $15 million worth of damage but no additional fatalities.[8][9]
The National Weather Service in Madison reported the next day that the frequency of lightning flashes in the storm exceeded 200 per minute. The flashes produced a strobe-like effect, as mentioned in media reports and books about the disaster.[10]
| State | Total | County | County total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 3 | Keokuk | 1 |
| Mahaska | 1 | ||
| Ringgold | 1 | ||
| Missouri | 1 | Harrison | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | Iowa | 9 |
| Totals | 13 | ||
| All deaths were tornado-related | |||
The Barneveld tornado became the most recent F5/EF5 tornado to touch down at night. Group members prior to Barneveld included theBlackwell, Oklahoma andUdall, Kansas tornadoes during the1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak; thetornado that struck downtown Lubbock, TX in 1970; and theTanner andGuin, Alabama tornadoes from the1974 Super Outbreak. Later, theBirmingham tornado in April 1998 and theGreensburg tornado in May 2007 also joined that group of violent nighttime tornadoes. As it was in Barneveld, people in these other communities may not have been aware of incoming severe weather nor would they be able to see the tornado until it was already upon them, which increased their odds of injury or death.
The Barneveld tornado was the only F5-rated storm in the United States in 1984 and the first to strike Wisconsin since theColfax tornado killed 21 people in 1958. While it had been 26 years since the last F5 tornado struck Wisconsin, it had only been two years since the last F5 tornado in the United States; thankfully, while theBroken Bow, Oklahoma tornado of April 1982 injured 29 people, it didn't take any lives.