Tornadoes in the United States
The Midwestern states are very prone to tornado activity, as they are part of "Tornado Alley." States included in the area that are hit by tornadoes the most are Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. The Midwestern States are often hit by tornadoes during the late spring and early summer months, especially the months of May and June. This is due to the aforementioned air mass moving northward into the Midwest and combining with another air mass that move southward from Canada. This creates unstable air, creating the potential for storms to strike the most during these months. The frequency begins to decrease in the middle of the summer, as the air mass moves northward into the Great Lakes states.
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.