1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado
The Late-October 1996 tornado outbreak was an unusual tornadic event that affected Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota on October 26, 1996. A total of 26 tornadoes would touch down on what turned out to be a record breaking late-season tornado outbreak.
Outbreak description
The outbreak started in Nebraska as three tornadoes touched down from 7:23 am - 9:00 am. The favorable dynamics then shifted northward to South Dakota, where nine tornadoes touched down from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. Finally, 14 more tornadoes touched down in Minnesota during the middle and late afternoon hours. Of the 26 tornadoes that touched down that day, five of them were rated as F2, with the rest being F0 and F1. Because these tornadoes formed from low-topped supercells, the tornadoes that formed were relatively weak.[1] There were no fatalities, fifteen were injured and there was $1.4 million in damage; most of which occurred in rural areas of west-central Minnesota[2]
What makes this outbreak notable is the time of year that it took place. Typically early fall is a very quiet time of the year for tornadoes in the United States, and the ones that do form usually touch down in the Southern United States. In Minnesota, prior to this outbreak there had been only ten tornadoes ever recorded during the month of October, so the fourteen tornadoes on this day easily eclipsed most late season outbreak records.[3]
Two houses sustained roof loss/damage, and a building, four trailer homes, and several campers were destroyed. Several trees were uprooted as well. Three people were injured.
Worst damage was in the Lobster Lake area. Homes and cabins were destroyed, some of which were pushed from their foundations. Four people were injured.[5]
Several farm buildings were destroyed, with 21 dairy cows being killed in one, a man was injured when his car was spun around, and many trees were downed.
Numerous barns and garages were destroyed, several businesses were damaged in Stanchfield, and a camper was destroyed, with the occupant being thrown clear of the camper, resulting in minor injuries.[8]
Intermittent tornado near the Mississippi River caused structural damage at a few farms, including about ten buildings on one farm sustaining extensive damage: the roof and doors were torn off a hay barn, and a dump truck was pushed about 6 feet (1.8 m) into the side of a shed. Other outbuildings were knocked down, and a garage was shifted on its foundation. There was some structural damage and many uprooted trees on two nearby farms.
