DES MOINES, IA (WSAU) — The line of severe thunderstorms that spawned over a dozen tornadoes on a line between Mason City, Iowa and Neillsville, WI has been declared a Serial Derecho by the National Weather Service.
The storm dropped at least five tornados in the Badger State including two in the Neillsville area, one in Stanley, and one in the Eau Claire area. Additional tornadoes were also reported in southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. Other areas also saw severe wind gusts that knocked down trees, ripped shingles off of roofs, and knocked out power to over 100,000 customers in the WPS service area.
The minimum requirements for a Derecho include wind gusts of at least 58 MPH with several 75 MPH gusts over a 240-mile path.
The December 15th incident marks the first-ever Derecho recorded in the United States in December.
