The first tornado to ever hit Madison, Wisconsin, in February was confirmed Thursday.
The twister was witnessed a little south of Madison, between the areas of Evansville and Edgerton, as a large storm system tracked across the Midwest throughout the day, USA Today reported. Footage of the tornado was shared on social media, where you can clearly see it moving in the distance as lightning and high winds create a bit of a sensory overload.
The National Weather Service shared an update around 6:00 p.m. local time, saying “This is a very dangerous storm; seek immediate safe shelter if in its path!”
Wisconsin Tornado Hits Evansville, Madison Areas Reports of Damaged Homes#Tornado pic.twitter.com/qfag9n68RD
— Trending 𝕏 Videos (@TrendingXVideo) February 9, 2024
As many as three tornados may have struck the region throughout the day, including two in Illinois that turned over a semi truck, NOAA’s National Weather Service said. Images shared online show the destruction caused by the Wisconsin twister, which appears to have destroyed what was either a garage or barn.
Just a snapshot of some of the damage in the small town of Edgerton, right near Evansville where a confirmed tornado touched down earlier this evening. @WISN12News pic.twitter.com/5weuc9I43H
— Emily Pofahl (@EmilyPofahl6) February 9, 2024
This is the first known tornado to hit Wisconsin in February in recorded history, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Back in 2008, two tornadoes did hit in January, but they were the last known deep-winter twisters in the state, the organization said. (RELATED: If You Think Close-Up Tornado Videos Are Scary, Wait Till You See What Else Is Coming…)
Complete data on Wisconsin’s tornadoes only goes back to 1950, according to the NWS, which makes it extremely limited. From broader reports, NWS claimed there have been at least 1537 tornadoes statewide from 1844 to the present, which have claimed as many as 511 lives, and caused no less than 3056 injuries.