(WLUK) – Severe thunderstorms moved through northeast Wisconsin Tuesday morning and afternoon, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and lightning.
Rainfall generally ranged from 1.2 to 3.8 centimeters. There were also a few small hailstorms between the heaviest thunderstorms.
Kewaunee residents are dealing with the rubble after strong winds devastated their town. Winds reaching up to 60 mph left trees and debris littering the streets.
Leah Haberli said it was a rarity in Kewaunee.
“It was very windy,” explained Häberli. “I mean, the trees just went wild. It was unbelievable, I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
Many homeowners took to the streets to check on their neighbors and clean up the mess.
“Before we even set foot in our yard, we drove around and asked all of our neighbors if they were OK,” Eric Pribek told us. “We drove to a few restaurants to see if everyone was OK. We checked on everyone. That’s what people do in Kewaunee. They check on each other.”
Stacey Melotte told FOX 11 about her experience during the storm that caused a tree to fall on the corner of her house.
“I saw the tree break, the big walnut tree, that’s this one,” she said, pointing to the tree in her front yard. “It belongs in the back yard, about 20 meters high.”
As if fallen trees weren’t bad enough, the storm caused power outages across the city.
Tracy Nollenberg, Kewaunee County emergency management director, said they are working hard to fix any outages.
“I have seen fallen trees on many roads, so we would like to remind residents to avoid the roads in the city of Kewaunee,” she said. “Let our emergency responders do their job. That way, power can be restored more quickly.”
The residents are already looking to the future.
“I want to thank the Kewaunee Fire Department, all the EMS, the police, the WPS and everyone trying to get things back in order here,” Pribek said. “I think everything should be back in order by tomorrow. Everything should be back to normal.”
Kewaunee wasn’t the only place hit. Communities across the region suffered damage from the storm, especially split trees and fallen branches. Others saw toppled flagpoles, swing sets and even citizen registration signs.
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