2020 Dalton, Minnesota tornado
| EF4 tornado | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Formed | July 8, 2020, 5:08 pm CDT |
| Duration | 31 minutes |
| Dissipated | July 8, 2020, 5:39pm CDT |
| Max rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Highest winds |
|
| Damage | $1.855 million (2020 USD) |
| Fatalities | 1 fatality, 3 injuries |
| Areas affected | Western Minnesota |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
| |
On July 8, 2020, an EF4 tornado struck Dalton, Minnesota, as part of a larger outbreak of 28 tornadoes across 3 days in the region. This was the first F4 or EF4 tornado in the United States in July since the 2004 Roanoke tornado. On its path, it caused one death and three injuries, and was on the ground for 9 miles (14 km). The tornado produced wind speeds of 170 miles per hour (270 km/h). The fatality occurred in a machine shop.[1]
Meteorological history[edit]
July 8, 2020, at first seemed to be a quiet day for tornadoes. This was due to low-lying wind shear. However, there was a growing CAPE, which reached reached 4,000 J/kg by 5pm local time, shortly before the tornado touched down. The tornado was then able to explosively intensify, and went from being an isolated cell to a supercell in under half an hour. There were other tornadoes this day as well, including over a boundary intersection in Colorado.[2]
Impact and aftermath[edit]
A well built, two-story house was completely swept off its foundation, and the two people taking shelter in the basement suffered injuries. In a machine shop, one person was killed and another injured. The EF4 damage made it the sixth such tornado of 2020, and the first since April.[3] It also made it the first EF4 in Minnesota since August 2010.[4] Four residencies were destroyed, and a storm chaser had an extremely close call with the tornado.[5] Damage was limited due to it striking rural areas.[6] Destruction also included three farmhouses, one of which was totally flattened.[7] Damages amounted to $255,000 in crops and $1.6 million in property.[8] There was also hail, up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter, and wind gusts in western Minnesota that hit a maximum of 83 miles per hour (134 km/h).[9] The tornado also made it on the front cover of the movie 13 minutes.[10]
Other tornadoes[edit]
This was part of a larger outbreak of 28 tornadoes, of which two of them were rated EF2. One of them moved through Black Hills National Forest in Wyoming and South Dakota.[11] Another EF2 touched down in western Minnesota.[12] This event was also a part of a derecho.[13] Several of these were EF0 landspouts, however, including five in Alberta, which constituted nearly half of all tornadoes in Alberta from May to August.[14]
See also[edit]
- Weather of 2020
- Tornado outbreak of June 14-18, 1992 - produced the most recent F5 in Minnesota
- Tornado outbreak of July 28-29, 2021 - Another July tornado outbreak from a derecho in the Midwest, just over one year later
References[edit]
- ↑ Otter Tail County tornado reached wind speeds of 170 miles per hour, Kare, July 10, 2020
- ↑ EF4 tornado in Minnesota on July 8, 2020 - a rather subtle environment for a violent tornado, John Davies Severe Weather Notes, July 16, 2020
- ↑ Deadly Minnesota Tornado Rated EF4; Buildings Swept off Foundations, NWS Says, The Weather Channel, July 10, 2020
- ↑ This is the first EF4 tornado in Minnesota since the Wilkin County tornado on August 7, 2010., National Weather Service, Twitter, July 10, 2020
- ↑ Storm chaser's close encounter with deadly Minnesota tornado, Fox News, July 9, 2020
- ↑ LIVE: Destruction in Dalton after Tornado rips through rural area, KVRR, July 9, 2020
- ↑ 'Violent' Minnesota tornado packed 170 mph winds, NWS says, Fox News, July 9, 2020
- ↑ EF4 tornado on Jul. 08, 2020 16:15 PM CDT, DailyRecord
- ↑ Deadly tornado rips through Minnesota community, WHSV, July 9, 2020
- ↑ Deadly Minnesota tornado featured on cover of upcoming movie '13 Minutes', Bring Me The News, October 6, 2021
- ↑ National Weather Service Raw Text Product, Iowa State University
- ↑ National Weather Service Raw Text Product, Iowa State University
- ↑ Storm Prediction Center 200707 reports, Storm Prediction Center
- ↑ Alberta's tornado count was average this year with 12 confirmed between May and Aug. Fun Fact: Nearly half of these tornadoes occurred on one day, July 7. Favourable conditions for landspouts led to multiple reports and 5 confirmations. No damage was reported., ECCC Weather Alberta, Twitter, September 16, 2020
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