| Oakfield, Wisconsin F5 tornado | |
| Tornado outbreak year: | January–December 1996 |
| Maximum rated tornado: | F5 tornado, 1 location (Oakfield, WI), 1 occurrence |
| Tornadoes caused (US): | 1173[1] |
| Damages (US): | {{{total damages}}} |
| Fatalities (US): | 25[2] |
| Fatalities (World): | Unknown |
| Tornado Years 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 |
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This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1996, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
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The 1996 tornado season saw fairly average numbers across the board, though fatalities were lower than average at just 25. There were a few notable outbreaks, but most were outside the main "tornado alley" of the midwestern United States. The July F5 tornado that struck Oakfield, Wisconsin was the first F5 tornado since 1992.
Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1996 in the United States.
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed F0 |
Confirmed F1 |
Confirmed F2 |
Confirmed F3 |
Confirmed F4 |
Confirmed F5 |
| 1173 | 743 | 313 | 94 | 20 | 2 | 1 |
There were 35 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.
There were 14 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.
There were 71 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March. On March 6, six people were killed in Alabama by two tornadoes. One F3 tornado killed four in Dallas County, while another F2 killed two in Montgomery County.
There were 177 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April. On April 14, and F4 tornado killed seven people in Stone and Izard counties in Arkansas. The seven fatalities from this tornado were the most killed by one tornado in 1996.
The April 1996 Tornado Outbreak Sequence was a series of tornado outbreaks that occurred over a three-day period between April 19 to April 21, 1996 across a large area of eastern North America. It was the most notable outbreak of the year; the 19th was the most prolific tornado outbreak in Illinois history. Six people were killed in the outbreak, and 11 tornadoes were rated as high as F3.
Thirty-three tornadoes hit Illinois. It broke the old record of 25 set on August 10, 1974. This outbreak can also be compared to the May 2004 tornado outbreak sequence as it was a very huge, deep and vigorous system. The same system produced tornadoes in Ontario on the 20th; and destructive tornadoes also occurred in Arkansas and Texas on the 21st.
There were 235 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.
The May 1996 Kentucky tornado outbreak was a small outbreak of tornadoes that occurred in Central and northern Kentucky on May 28, 1996. The tornado resulted in over $100 million in damages. One tornado was rated as high as F4. The outbreak resulted in no fatalities.
There were 128 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.
There were 202 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July.
The 1996 Oakfield Tornado is the name of an F5 tornado which destroyed Oakfield, Wisconsin on July 18, 1996. The violent tornado developed outside of town and moved southeastward across Wisconsin taking direct aim at Oakfield. At 7:15 p.m. the large tornado struck the 1,012 person town, injuring 17 people but killing none. It would be the only F5 tornado to hit the United States that year. The tornado width when it reached its maximum strength was about 100 yards (92m) wide, making it one of the narrowest F5's on record. There were eleven other tornadoes in Wisconsin from this storm complex, with one death at Marytown, Wisconsin.
There were 72 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.
There were 101 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.
There were 68 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.
The Late-October 1996 tornado outbreak was an unusual tornadic event that affected Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota on October 26, 1996. Twenty-six tornadoes touched down (max F2 rating) on what turned out to be a record breaking late-season tornado outbreak. This outbreak fortunately saw no fatalities.
There were 55 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November.
There were 15 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.
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