1992 Chandler–Lake Wilson tornado

During the afternoon of June 16, 1992, a violent tornado, commonly known as the Chandler–Lake Wilson tornado, tore through the town of Chandler and city of Lake Wilson in Murray County, Minnesota.[2] The damage in Chandler was extreme enough, for the local National Weather Service office to rate the damage F5 on the Fujita scale.[3]

1992 Chandler–Lake Wilson tornado
A photograph of the violent F5 tornado.
Meteorological history
Duration25 minutes
FormedJune 16, 1992, 5:00 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00)
DissipatedJune 16, 1992, 5:25 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00)
F5 tornado
on the Fujita scale
Highest winds261 to 318 mph (420 to 512 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities1[1][2]
Injuries40+[2][1]
Damage$50 million (1992 USD)[1][2]
Part of the Tornado outbreak of June 14–18, 1992 and tornado outbreaks of 1992

Tornado summary

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "two violent twisters" caused catastrophic damage in the areas around town of Chandler and city of Lake Wilson in Murray County, Minnesota.[1] Despite being officially referred to as two tornadoes, the tornadoes received a joint, single rating of F5 on the Fujita scale.[1] The tornado touched down 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Leota and moved northeast as it rapidly intensified. Just east of Leota, two farmsteads were completely destroyed at F5 intensity.[2] At approximately 5:18 pm, the tornado, which had intensified even further, struck Chandler, where it caused, leaving half of the town leveled.[1][2] In Chandler, 36 people were injured, with one person dying from their injuries two months later.[1] The National Weather Service referred to the tornado as a "maxi-tornado" as it struck Chandler.[2] It was documented that in the towns of Chandler and Lake Wilson, the tornado caused at least $27 million (1992 USD), with another $17 million (1992 USD) in damage occurring in rural parts of Murray County.[1] In total, the tornado killed one person, injured over 40 others, and caused at least $50 million (1992 USD) in damage along its 35 miles (56 km) track.[2][1][4] The tornado had a maximum width of .75 miles (1.21 km) around the Chandler-Lake Wilson area.[5][6] This was the only F5 tornado to occur in the United States in 1992.[5][7]

In 2019, meteorologist Jen Narramore, who previously worked for The Weather Channel, found several discrepancies with the official publications and records from NOAA, with the National Climatic Data Center and Storm Prediction Center stating the tornado's path length was only 16 miles (26 km), while the local National Weather Service office states the official path length was 35 miles (56 km).[8] In Narramore’s assessment, it was stated the path length was most likely to be approximately 16 miles (26 km), but slightly different than what was listed by the Storm Prediction Center.[8]

See also

References
  1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; National Climatic Data Center (June 1992). Goodge, Grant W. (ed.). "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data. United States Department of Commerce. 34 (6): 130–135. ISSN 0039-1972.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. "Chandler-Lake Wilson Minnesota F5 Tornado of June 16, 1992". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  3. Storm Prediction Center. "F5 and EF5 Tornadoes of the United States". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  4. "30 Years Later: Chandler-Lake Wilson Tornado". KEYC. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. "Chandler-Lake Wilson Minnesota F5 Tornado". National Weather Service – Sioux Falls. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
  6. "Storm Events". National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
  7. "25 years later, Chandler/Lake Wilson tornado remembered". The Globe. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. Narramore, Jen (16 June 2019). "Chandler, MN F5 Tornado – June 16, 1992". Tornado Talk. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
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