Western Wisconsin Derecho
Encyclopedia
The Western Wisconsin Derecho was a derecho
, or severe weather system, that occurred through several counties of Western Wisconsin
on July 15, 1980. It caused nearly $160M in damage (1980 dollars) and one person was killed. At the time, it was the worst natural disaster
in Wisconsin history. To this day, the storm is still referred to as "The July 15th (1980) Storm," "July 15th, 1980," or simply "The Storm."
The system formed in central Minnesota
during the early evening of July 15 and intensified that evening in the eastern part of the state. It was a rapidly-moving storm, roaring through the Twin Cities at 60 mph (97 km/h), and picked up speed as it entered Wisconsin.
was stationed over eastern South Dakota
, adjacent to a warm front
that extended southeast through southern Minnesota into eastern Iowa
. Ahead (north) of the warm front was an area of hot, dry air: the high temperature for the day at Eau Claire
was 93°F (34°C) and 93°F (34°C) in the Twin Cities. South of the front was very humid, hot air: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
had a high temperature of 98°F (37°C).
As the afternoon progressed, the warm front moved into the drier air to the north, pulling with it the moist air over the dry air. Regional meteorologists were aware of the potential for thunderstorms because of the low pressure system and the intense heat and moisture, but no one could have predicted the storm that would develop that night.
As the storm raced through St Croix
, Pierce
, Dunn, Eau Claire
, Chippewa
, and Clark counties, it caused a band of damage more than 20 miles (30 km) wide. A maximum wind speed of 112 mph (180 km/h) was recorded at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport
, while 100 mph wind was recorded in the city of Eau Claire. At 9:39 p.m., WEAU-TV broadcast an alert from the National Weather Service
about one of several tornado warnings that evening for Eau Claire County; moments later, the station lost power and went off-the-air
. Seven of the city's eight radio stations were still off-the-air the next morning.
By 10:00 p.m., with the most intense part of the storm winding down, the area of low pressure was directly over western Wisconsin. Behind the low, air had cooled considerably, with the Twin Cities reporting temperatures in the upper 60s. In addition to being tremendously destructive, the storm was considerably long-lived. The same system produced severe derechos through Illinois
and Michigan
overnight and into the following day. The system was estimated to have caused $650M ($1.3B in 2003 dollars) in damage across the four states.
), several tornadoes were reported.
, now a neighborhood on the city's north side. Many homes in the neighborhood were destroyed. Across US-12
from Mill Run are the headquarters of the home improvement retailer Menards
, which also sustained major damage. Six residents of the Stardust Estates mobile home court were injured in the storm.
Numerous concrete stave silos on the small Wisconsin dairy farms were blown in half with only the bottom half showing.
It also caused the bankruptcy of the Martel Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which inexplicably did not have re-insurance coverage. Thus, many farmers had to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in assessments to cover the final losses of the insurance company.
. Approximately $3.3M of public property in Eau Claire County was damaged in the storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) would have covered that entire amount in theory. But at some point that year, the rule was changed on what FEMA would cover – which amounted to only 75%. That left better than $800,000 for Wisconsin to pay. No one notified the states when the rule was changed.
Theories for the change in coverage include the massive influx of Cubans
into the country; the Mount St. Helens eruption of 18 May; the severe tornadoes in Grand Island, Nebraska in June; and flooding in western Pennsylvania
during August. The federal government's budget was badly impacted by these and other disasters. In all, there were 22 major disaster declarations in 1980.
Compounding problems for the state was that the storm occurred in an election year. Frustrated Wisconsin officials, including Governor Lee Dreyfus
, were not prepared for the difficulty in dealing with the federal government during such a time.
Derecho
A derecho is a widespread and long-lived, violent convectively induced straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms in the form of a squall line usually taking the form of a bow echo...
, or severe weather system, that occurred through several counties of Western Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
on July 15, 1980. It caused nearly $160M in damage (1980 dollars) and one person was killed. At the time, it was the worst natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
in Wisconsin history. To this day, the storm is still referred to as "The July 15th (1980) Storm," "July 15th, 1980," or simply "The Storm."
The system formed in central Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
during the early evening of July 15 and intensified that evening in the eastern part of the state. It was a rapidly-moving storm, roaring through the Twin Cities at 60 mph (97 km/h), and picked up speed as it entered Wisconsin.
Prelude
The 15 July storm developed during the devastating heat wave of 1980. Eight of the previous nine days in the Twin Cities had highs above 90°F (32°C). The high on 11 July was 100°F (38°C). On 14 July, the day before the storm, the high was 99°F (37°C); the overnight low was a sticky 79°F (26°C). Conditions for severe weather had clearly been developing for days.The storm
At 2:00 p.m. on the afternoon of July 15, a weak area of low pressureLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
was stationed over eastern South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, adjacent to a warm front
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
that extended southeast through southern Minnesota into eastern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Ahead (north) of the warm front was an area of hot, dry air: the high temperature for the day at Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...
was 93°F (34°C) and 93°F (34°C) in the Twin Cities. South of the front was very humid, hot air: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
had a high temperature of 98°F (37°C).
As the afternoon progressed, the warm front moved into the drier air to the north, pulling with it the moist air over the dry air. Regional meteorologists were aware of the potential for thunderstorms because of the low pressure system and the intense heat and moisture, but no one could have predicted the storm that would develop that night.
As the storm raced through St Croix
St. Croix County, Wisconsin
St. Croix County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 84,345. Its county seat is Hudson. St. Croix County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Pierce
Pierce County, Wisconsin
Pierce County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 41,019. Its county seat is Ellsworth. Pierce County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area .-Geography:...
, Dunn, Eau Claire
Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population estimate was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire....
, Chippewa
Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County...
, and Clark counties, it caused a band of damage more than 20 miles (30 km) wide. A maximum wind speed of 112 mph (180 km/h) was recorded at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport
Chippewa Valley Regional Airport
Chippewa Valley Regional Airport is a public-use airport located in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States. It is three nautical miles north of the central business district of Eau Claire and is owned by Eau Claire County....
, while 100 mph wind was recorded in the city of Eau Claire. At 9:39 p.m., WEAU-TV broadcast an alert from the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
about one of several tornado warnings that evening for Eau Claire County; moments later, the station lost power and went off-the-air
Off-the-air
In telecommunication, the term off-air or off-the-air has the following meanings:# In radio communications systems, pertaining to a radio station or television station that is completely shut down, i.e. that is not transmitting any signal, not even an un-modulated carrier wave...
. Seven of the city's eight radio stations were still off-the-air the next morning.
By 10:00 p.m., with the most intense part of the storm winding down, the area of low pressure was directly over western Wisconsin. Behind the low, air had cooled considerably, with the Twin Cities reporting temperatures in the upper 60s. In addition to being tremendously destructive, the storm was considerably long-lived. The same system produced severe derechos through Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
overnight and into the following day. The system was estimated to have caused $650M ($1.3B in 2003 dollars) in damage across the four states.
Tornadoes
Although much of the storm's damage was caused by straight-line winds (see downburstDownburst
A downburst is created by an area of significantly rain-cooled air that, after reaching ground level, spreads out in all directions producing strong winds. Unlike winds in a tornado, winds in a downburst are directed outwards from the point where it hits land or water...
), several tornadoes were reported.
July 15 event
| List of reported tornadoes - Tuesday, July 15, 1980 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fujita scale The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation... |
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| Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... |
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| F3 | Eau Claire Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population estimate was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire.... |
44.83°N 91.52°W | 0225 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | 1 Death 10 Injuries 3/4-mile-wide tornado briefly touched down causing $ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... 2.5 million in damages. Strongest tornado during the three hour event. |
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| F1 | Eau Claire Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population estimate was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire.... |
44.77°N 91.27°W | 0240 | 0.3 mile (0.482802 km) | Brief touchdown, caused $25,000 in damages. | |
| F2 | Chippewa Chippewa County, Wisconsin Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County... |
44.87°N 91.48°W | 0240 | 0.2 mile (0.321868 km) | 1 Death 5 Injuries Brief touchdown, caused $2.5 million in damages. | |
| F2 | St. Croix St. Croix County, Wisconsin St. Croix County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 84,345. Its county seat is Hudson. St. Croix County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin.-Geography:According to the U.S... , Dunn |
45.08°N 92.17°W | 0245 | unknown | 1 Death 12 Injuries Caused $2.5 million in damages. | |
| F1 | Chippewa Chippewa County, Wisconsin Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County... |
44.92°N 91.43°W | 0245 | 0.1 mile (0.160934 km) | Brief touchdown, caused $2,500 in damages. | |
| F0 | Chippewa Chippewa County, Wisconsin Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County... |
44.92°N 91.45°W | 0245 | 0.1 mile (0.160934 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| F2 | Eau Claire Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population estimate was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire.... |
44.62°N 91.18°W | 0250 | 2.7 miles (4.3 km) | Brief touchdown, caused $250,000 in damages. | |
| F0 | Chippewa Chippewa County, Wisconsin Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County... |
44.92°N 91.25°W | 0307 | 0.1 mile (0.160934 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| F1 | Clark | 44.93°N 90.87°W | 0507 | 0.1 mile (0.160934 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| F1 | Eau Claire Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population estimate was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire.... |
44.7°N 91.48°W | 0508 | 0.1 mile (0.160934 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
Aftermath
One area of Eau Clare that was hit hardest was the Mill Run subdivision, at the time a part of the Town of UnionUnion, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
Union is a town in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,402 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Truax and Union are located in the town.-Geography:...
, now a neighborhood on the city's north side. Many homes in the neighborhood were destroyed. Across US-12
U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 12 or US 12 is an east–west United States highway, running from Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Washington, to downtown Detroit, for almost . As a thoroughfare, it has mostly been supplanted by I-90 and I-94, but remains an important road for local travel.The...
from Mill Run are the headquarters of the home improvement retailer Menards
Menards
Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
, which also sustained major damage. Six residents of the Stardust Estates mobile home court were injured in the storm.
Farm losses
Farm property was hit very hard, with Dunn County receiving the worst damage. It was estimated that more than $27M of damage was done just to farm buildings in that county, and $8M in crops. More than 10,000 farms were initially without power after the storm.Numerous concrete stave silos on the small Wisconsin dairy farms were blown in half with only the bottom half showing.
It also caused the bankruptcy of the Martel Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which inexplicably did not have re-insurance coverage. Thus, many farmers had to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in assessments to cover the final losses of the insurance company.
Political controversy
Four counties affected by the storm were declared federal disaster areas on 24 July by President Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. Approximately $3.3M of public property in Eau Claire County was damaged in the storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA) would have covered that entire amount in theory. But at some point that year, the rule was changed on what FEMA would cover – which amounted to only 75%. That left better than $800,000 for Wisconsin to pay. No one notified the states when the rule was changed.
Theories for the change in coverage include the massive influx of Cubans
Mariel boatlift
The Mariel boatlift was a mass emigration of Cubans who departed from Cuba's Mariel Harbor for the United States between April 15 and October 31, 1980....
into the country; the Mount St. Helens eruption of 18 May; the severe tornadoes in Grand Island, Nebraska in June; and flooding in western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
during August. The federal government's budget was badly impacted by these and other disasters. In all, there were 22 major disaster declarations in 1980.
Compounding problems for the state was that the storm occurred in an election year. Frustrated Wisconsin officials, including Governor Lee Dreyfus
Lee S. Dreyfus
Lee Sherman Dreyfus was an American politician and member of the Republican Party who served as the 40th Governor of Wisconsin from January 4, 1979 to January 3, 1983....
, were not prepared for the difficulty in dealing with the federal government during such a time.
Property damage (1980 estimates)
- Total damage was estimated at $159,522,650. This highly localized damage estimate significantly exceeds all more recent natural disasters, such as the 2007 Midwest flooding2007 Midwest floodingThe 2007 Midwest flooding was a major flooding event that occurred in the Midwestern United States in the third week of August 2007. While Hurricane Dean was affecting the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico, and Tropical Storm Erin was affecting Oklahoma and Texas, a persistent storm system...
, which affected six Midwestern states.- Eau Claire CountyEau Claire County, WisconsinEau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population estimate was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire....
: $60,983,650 - Dunn County: $38,572,000
- Pierce CountyPierce County, WisconsinPierce County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 41,019. Its county seat is Ellsworth. Pierce County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area .-Geography:...
: $29,557,000 - Chippewa CountyChippewa County, WisconsinChippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County...
: $10,675,000 - Public propertyPublic propertyPublic property is property, which is dedicated to the use of the public. It is a subset of state property. The term may be used either to describe the use to which the property is put, or to describe the character of its ownership...
: $7,359,500 - Timber LossesLumberLumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
: $14,518,000
- Eau Claire County
External links
- University of Minnesota Climatology Working Group
- 1980 Federal Disaster Declarations (FEMA)
- Tornado Project Online
- The Storm of 1980 by Lukas Hoffland
- "The Storm" (television program) aired 21 July 1980 on WEAU-TVWEAU-TVWEAU-TV is the NBC affiliate for much of western Wisconsin, including Eau Claire and La Crosse. WEAU is licensed to Eau Claire and its transmitter is located in Fairchild, Wisconsin. WEAU is currently broadcasting from a tower near the station's studio in Eau Claire due to a collapse of its main...
- "The Storm: One Year Later" (television program) aired 15 July 1981 on WEAU-TVWEAU-TVWEAU-TV is the NBC affiliate for much of western Wisconsin, including Eau Claire and La Crosse. WEAU is licensed to Eau Claire and its transmitter is located in Fairchild, Wisconsin. WEAU is currently broadcasting from a tower near the station's studio in Eau Claire due to a collapse of its main...
- 1980 storm's ferocity unforgettable - newspaper article
- Martell Insurance Bankruptcy