1881 Minnesota tornado outbreak

Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox weather eventTemplate:Infobox weather event/Tornado outbreak Template:Infobox weather event/Effects Template:Infobox weather event/Footer On July 15–16, 1881, a deadly tornado outbreak struck southern Minnesota, featuring at least least six tornadoes, 24 deaths, and 123 injuries. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak, retroactively rated F4 on the Fujita scale, killed 20 people in and near New Ulm; it was likely a long-tracked tornado family and may have caused F5 damage to rural farmsteads. An F4 tornado elsewhere in Minnesota killed four more people, and additional strong tornadoes occurred in the state.Template:Efn

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
0	?	?	3	1	2	0	≥6

Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis.

July 15 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, July 15, 1881

F#Template:Efn	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (UTC)Template:Efn	Path length	WidthTemplate:Efn	Damage
F4	SE of Ortonville to Fairfield to N of Appleton	Lac qui Parle, Big Stone, Swift	MN	20:00–?			Template:Unk
	4 deaths – This long-lived, violent tornado may have formed across the Minnesota–South Dakota state line, damaging six farms near Odessa, but with no deaths. It leveled numerous farms in the Odessa–Correll area before killing four people in and near Fairfield. 15 injuries occurred.Template:Sfn
F4+	Western Bird Island to S of New Ulm	Renville, Sibley, Nicollet, Brown	MN	21:30–?		♯	Template:Nts
	20 deaths – See section on this tornado – 93 people were injured.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
F2+	S of Sleepy Eye	Brown, Watonwan	MN	22:50–?	≥		Template:Unk
	A tornado leveled barns and snapped or uprooted trees. Grazulis originally rated it F4, noting a path and 30 injuries in 1984, but subsequently downgraded it.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
F2	N of Winnebago	Blue Earth, Faribault	MN	00:00–?			Template:Unk
	A tornado hit and destroyed 12 farm buildings, including three or more barns. 11 injuries occurred.Template:Sfn
F3	S of Mountain Lake to W of Odin	Cottonwood, Watonwan	MN	00:10–?			Template:Unk
	An intense tornado nearly leveled a farmhouse, except for a wall fragment. It also tore apart four other farmhouses, each of which it unroofed, and killed cattle as well. Four injuries occurred.Template:Sfn

July 16 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Saturday, July 16, 1881

F#Template:Efn	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (UTC)Template:Efn	Path length	WidthTemplate:Efn	Damage
F2	Boys Lake	Redwood	MN	Template:Unk	Template:Unk	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	A tornado swept away outbuildings, a stable, and a farmhouse, leaving "hardly a vestige" behind, according to an account quoted by Grazulis.Template:Sfn

Bird Island–New Ulm, Minnesota

Template:Infobox weather event Template:Infobox weather event/Tornado Template:Infobox weather event/Effects Template:Infobox weather event/Footer A potent, long-lived tornado family—likely of F5 intensity—devastated farms and the western side of New Ulm. It struck five farms in Wellington Township, obliterating every building on each of them and causing a few deaths. The tornado killed five more people in Cairo Township, all in one family. A boy and his herd of 40 cattle perished as well. On the Minnesota River, the tornado razed nine homes in West Newton, claiming five more lives. Observers reported two parallel damage swaths nearby, indicating two or more tornadoes in the area and possible reformation into a distinct event. Next, the tornado veered sharply to the left as it entered the western side of New Ulm, destroying that section of town, demolishing 47 structures, and killing half a dozen people. The town was hard hit, with 247 buildings damaged or destroyed; many homes in town were leveled as well. In New Ulm the tornado was up to wide, following a zigzag track.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

See also

• Climate of Minnesota
• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

Sources

• Template:Cite techreport

External links

• Minnesota Tornado History and Statistics
• Gendisasters.com Template:Webarchive