MidWest SSTRC

08/28/2026

US National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Wisconsin

2026 Wisconsin Tornado Count Update: NWS Green Bay updated some information from the 7/20 and 7/27 tornadoes. An EF-U was added in Marathon county from storm chaser video. The EF-U in Marathon County was upped to an EF-0 due to damage found at the WI Farm Tech Days. The path info from the 7-27 EF-3 was updated as well. NWS Milwaukee added an EF-0 in Washington county from storms on 8/18. The 48 documented tornadoes occurring in Wisconsin this year make it the 2nd most on record going back to 1950 with 2005 (62) being first. 4 EF-3s, 2 EF-2s, 21 EF1s, 18 EF0s and 3 EF Unknown (U) level tornadoes have been documented across the state. On average, Wisconsin has 23 tornadoes that occur throughout the full year. https://www.weather.gov/mkx/wisconsintornadoes

08/17/2026

08/05/2026

The National Weather Service WSR-88D radar at La Crosse, WI – KARX – which covers southeast MN, northeast IA, and southwest WI, is down for scheduled maintenance. The radar is expected to be returned to service by early this afternoon (Wednesday, 8/5).

08/04/2026

It’s National Emergency Management Awareness Month.
But what is emergency management?

It is a team effort. From fire and police departments, emergency operations centers, hospitals, schools, health agencies, utilities, nonprofit organizations, and volunteer groups. Each partner from the local level to the federal level plays a crucial role in preparing, responding to, and helping communities recover from disasters or emergencies.

This month is about celebrating and recognizing the power of working together and celebrating the work done behind the scenes.

07/18/2026

Thank you Kelly for sharing your membership with MidWest SSTRC, for you knowldege and experince. We miss you and our best to you and your family.
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Kelly Maddern

30 years ago (7/18/1996) literally changed my life. It was just a little over a month after I graduated high school… I was playing a coed softball game out in the country between Waupun and Oakfield. The game started with clear skies, evolved into rumbling and threatening skies and then spun up the biggest, scariest tornado any of us have ever witnessed just east of us. Some of us that were equipped to do so scrambled to help victims just down the road from where we were.
After the storm and destruction, I had met with Rusty Kapela from the National Weather Service and gave him my account of what I witnessed. Keep in mind I was 18 and uneducated about storms at the time of this write-up (my story starts about half way down): https://www.weather.gov/mkx/071896-oakfield-tor
I went on to take an advanced spotter training class in Madison and joined MidWest SSTRC, even joining their board of directors. This volunteer group safely follows (spots) storms and reports to the National Weather Service and Dane County Emergency Management. Huge thanks to Dale Berny Bernstein for keeping this group going for so many years!
Around the 10 year anniversary, I met with Mark Baden at the very field where I witnessed the tornado for an interview. I was pregnant with Kami at the time. It was so weird to go back to the spot where it all started. https://youtu.be/sSrkxL6WcEI?is=er3ZWQsEWOs-7yAb
Even 30 years later, I can remember it like it was yesterday. If you or your kids are scared of storms and tornados, I’d highly recommend you partake in the annual free spotter training courses that happen in most areas of the state in April. You can also find a lot of training materials online. Knowledge is power. Knowing what to expect with an incoming storm, how they move, what looks scary but isn’t, and so much more can help you and your kids to not be scared and be safe!

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weather.gov%2Fmkx%2F071896-oakfield-tor%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAYnJpZBExd2Z3YW9aT1V5ZWdaTVllWHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7mnNWvSaTfzlWMJvEV-LXXw2qVndeM2ToRDH3IgszBpIc4q7LJGeMF6zozOA_aem_g75HP9gAYXpyPeHTg4Ra_g&h=AUBXt0PV9V573Dhbd3O2enVit6HgJM6L7ki6Ze7eoP4-xkaBEJDQSR0zjaeVHEcHPbEQKDPcXQ5stKd3AMma_bY_ta5pwZoqgCCHgdUBq-v-VGL19LEr7KhTraWuE3dvYWnQq-xwK0X-076Z&__tn__=H-R&c[0]=AUCkKOOisEpAt3r2omJopvUUHPli9lriUMNF0OxZ5dzjXNQq9KqZRDSnsHyBlGSZJknMjqXPJZPMdCVIC8Tk4P20lX14wlJXuqIO5hX9KErdVZtnFtKIxmOXPG6GauRIY9kbvUIAxarLBjx4rDxa-1zQ9Srxj5Q9rI_5lTMkO3clkk2doqHk9D5ChoIhM1RXCjJXKv5oUbyU05WhUvLVrw

Mark Baden interviewed me just outside of Oakfield, Wisconsin - 10 ...

07/10/2026

07/01/2026

1 July 2026 1247 hrs

07/01/2026

Busy day in central to norhtern WI

06/30/2026

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