1992 Chandler–Lake Wilson tornado explained

Formed:June 16, 1992, 5:00 p.m. CST
Duration:25 minutes
Dissipated:June 16, 1992, 5:25 p.m. CST
Basin:atl
Winds:261to
Fujita-Scale:F5
Deaths:1[1]
Injuries:40+
Damages:$50 million (1992 USD)[2]
Season:Tornado outbreak of June 14–18, 1992 and tornado outbreaks of 1992

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]

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 2miles 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 extreme damage, 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 35miles track.[2] [1] [4] The tornado had a maximum width of 0.75miles around the Chandler-Lake Wilson area.[5] [6] This was the only F5 tornado to occur in the United States in 1992.[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 16miles, while the local National Weather Service office states the official path length was 35miles.[8] In Narramore's assessment, it was stated the path length was most likely to be approximately 16miles, but slightly different than what was listed by the Storm Prediction Center.[8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. . . . Goodge . Grant W. . Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena . Storm Data . June 1992 . 34 . 6 . 130–135 . . 0039-1972.
  2. Web site: National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota . Chandler-Lake Wilson Minnesota F5 Tornado of June 16, 1992 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . 6 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230906192918/https://www.weather.gov/fsd/19920616-tornado-chandlerlakewilson . 6 September 2023 . live.
  3. Web site: . F5 and EF5 Tornadoes of the United States . . 6 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230905221431/https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f5torns.html . 5 September 2023 . live.
  4. Web site: 30 Years Later: Chandler-Lake Wilson Tornado . 17 June 2022 . KEYC . 6 September 2023.
  5. Web site: Chandler-Lake Wilson Minnesota F5 Tornado . . 2007-03-09 .
  6. Web site: Storm Events . National Climatic Data Center . 2007-03-09 .
  7. Web site: 25 years later, Chandler/Lake Wilson tornado remembered . 13 June 2017 . The Globe . 6 September 2023.
  8. Web site: Narramore . Jen . Chandler, MN F5 Tornado – June 16, 1992 . Tornado Talk . 7 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230907052441/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.tornadotalk.com/chandler-mn-f5-tornado-june-16-1992/ . 7 September 2023 . 16 June 2019 . live.