Tornado Alley
States such as Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and western Ohio are sometimes included in Tornado Alley. Research suggests that tornadoes are becoming more frequent in the northern parts of Tornado Alley where it reaches the Canadian prairies.
Tornadoes of 2018
A moderate outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes occurred across the Great Lakes region of the United States during late afternoon and evening of August 28. A majority of these tornadoes touched down in Wisconsin, and were embedded within a line of severe thunderstorms that moved across the southern portion of the state. An EF1 tornado stuck community of Alto, destroying large outbuildings, damaging trees and power poles, and causing considerable damage to farmsteads in the area. Three separate EF1 tornadoes caused damage to barns, trees, and homes in and around South Byron. The strongest tornado of the event was an EF2 that touched down in Brownsville, snapping numerous large trees, destroying a large barn, and toppling a large communications tower to the ground outside of town. A separate EF1 tornado also impacted Brownsville simultaneously, damaging trees and power poles in town. A few additional tornadoes also occurred in Iowa and Michigan, including an EF1 that heavily damaged a house near West Branch, Michigan. In addition to the tornadoes, the severe thunderstorms produced numerous reports of significant straight-line wind damage across the region. Damage to trees and agriculture across southern Wisconsin was severe. A total of 24 tornadoes were confirmed, none of which resulted in any fatalities or injuries.