SULLIVAN, Wis. (Civic Media) – A storm system on March 31 resulted in a tornado outbreak across southern Wisconsin.

The National Weather Service in Milwaukee said that 12 tornadoes have been confirmed from the system that spanned from Wisconsin to Louisiana on the last day of March.

Five of the tornadoes were rated EF-1, while the remaining seven were rated EF-0. Nobody was hurt or killed as a result of the tornadoes. They are the first tornadoes of 2023 in Wisconsin, and with 12 tornadoes, the state is already more than halfway to its yearly average of 23 tornadoes, according to the NWS.

Of the dozen tornadoes confirmed in Wisconsin, an EF-1 that happened in Lafayette and Iowa counties had the longest path, traveling from west of Belmont to southwest of Mineral Point for 12.8 miles. Its max wind speed of 100 mph was tied for the highest among the tornadoes on March 31 with an EF-1 that happened between Juda and Albany in neighboring Green County and an EF-1 that occurred just east of Stoughton in Dane County.

The large storm system produced dozens of tornadoes as it swept through the central part of the United States, with an additional 18 tornadoes recorded in northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana.

April 17 through 21 is tornado and severe weather awareness week in Wisconsin. A statewide tornado drill is being held on April 20 at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.