PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1140 AM CDT THU JUL 7 2000
...DISCUSSION ABOUT THE JULY 2ND FRANKLIN/OAK CREEK TORNADO...
A WEAK TORNADO SPUN UP YESTERDAY AROUND 635 PM IN THE CITY OF FRANKLIN EAST OF
FROEMMING PARK AND MOVED SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE CITY OF OAK CREEK. IT PASSED JUST
SOUTH OF THE I-94 AND RYAN ROAD INTERCHANGE AND EXITED OAK CREEK WHERE HIGHWAY 32
ENTERS RACINE COUNTY. IT THEN QUICKLY DISSIPATED IN EXTREME NORTHERN RACINE
COUNTY JUST EAST OF HIGHWAY 32 AT ABOUT 710 PM.
THIS TORNADO WAS GIVEN A PRELIMINARY RATING OF F1 WITH WIND SPEEDS AROUND 100
MPH. THE PATH LENGTH WAS ABOUT 6.8 MILES AND MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS ABOUT 100 YARDS.
IT WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND THE ENTIRE TIME AND WAS PROBABLY RAIN-
WRAPPED. AT LEAST 3 PEOPLE CLAIM THEY SAW THE CONDENSATION FUNNEL. ONE
EYEWITNESS BRIEFLY SAW WISPY MULTIPLE VORTICES. IN OTHER WORDS...THIS AS A
MULTIPLE VORTEX TORNADO WHICH EXPLAINS WHY SOME HOMES AND LARGE TREES SUSTAINED
DAMAGE WHILE OTHERS NEXT DOOR DID NOT.
NO INJURIES OR DEATHS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. HOWEVER THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TREE AND
POWER LINE/POLE DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH AND AT LEAST A DOZEN HOMES AND ONE BUSINESS
SUSTAINED DAMAGE. MONETARY DAMAGE AMOUNTS ATTRIBUTED TO THIS TORNADO ARE NOT
AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.
A STORM SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED TODAY BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CITY OFFICIALS OF THE
CITIES OF FRANKLIN AND OAK CREEK IN CONJUNCTION WITH 2 METEOROLOGISTS FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE NEAR SULLIVAN WISCONSIN. THE BEGINNING
AND ENDING TIMES OF THE TORNADO ARE ONLY ESTIMATES AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
THE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX THAT GENERATED THIS TORNADO ALSO CREATED DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 65 TO 78 MPH ACROSS THE CITIES OF WAUKESHA AND NEW BERLIN
AND OTHER PARTS OF THE CITIES OF FRANKLIN...OAK CREEK...GREENDALE...AND HALES
CORNERS.
$$
KAPELA/RIZZO
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