Colfax, Wisconsin tornado outbreak
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | June 4, 1958 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 10 |
| Max rating1 | F5 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 3 hours, 50 minutes |
| Damage | $83.3 million |
| Casualties | 28 deaths, 133 injuries |
| Areas affected | Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin |
|
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado |
|
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
The 1958 Colfax, Wisconsin tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that struck portions of northwestern Wisconsin on June 4, 1958. The outbreak which started in central Minnesota killed at least 28 people, all in Wisconsin as part of one of the worst tornado outbreaks ever to have struck the state.
Tornadoes first touched down during the second half of the afternoon across central Minnesota west of St. Cloud destroying barns and toppling trees but no fatalities were reported. The thunderstorms raced eastward at 50 mph (80 km/h) through the Twin Cities area and intensified shortly after crossing the Minnesota-Wisconsin State line after 5:00 PM CDT.
The deadliest tornado of the outbreak was an F5 that struck the Colfax area in Dunn County at 7:04 PM CDT. The tornado touched down south of Interstate 94 near Baldwin in St. Croix County the same county affected by the New Richmond Tornado on June 12, 1899, which killed 117. The F5 storm traveled for about 33 miles (53 km) across St. Croix and Dunn Counties passed through or near the Wilson, Knapp, Tainter Lake, Cedar Falls and Norton areas just north Menomonie before producing the worst damage in Colfax. A few minutes later the tornado dissipated just west of US Route 53 near Bloomer.
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