A destructive burst of strong winds and reported tornadoes across the Upper Midwest left rural communities Saturday sifting through the destruction that was left behind.
Damage was severe in some communities — roofs ripped off homes, power lines tangled, and roads impassable because of debris. However, no deaths were reported.
“We are extremely fortunate that this storm did not result in loss of life or serious injury,” Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said of the storm that hit Lena, Illinois, on Friday.
Officials in Wisconsin and Minnesota echoed those sentiments.
A tornado tore through Kronenwetter and Ringle in central Wisconsin on Friday afternoon, leaving damaged homes and some residents briefly trapped in their basements, Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman told reporters.
Marathon County Sheriff Chad Billeb said during a Friday night news conference that he had not seen this much devastation during his 34 years in law enforcement.
“A lot of people are going to need a lot of help,” Billeb said of the Wisconsin storms.
Recovery from the storm will take a long time, Brent Jacobson, a Wisconsin state representative, said in a Saturday morning social media post.
“As the photos and videos continue to come in, it is clear that parts of Ringle and Kronenwetter suffered devastating damage,” Jacobson’s statement said.
In Olmsted County, Minnesota, sheriff’s officials said tornadoes caused “multiple levels” of damage. At least 30 homes were damaged in Marion Township, with a number of those sustaining “significant” damage.
Personnel from Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Rochester Fire and Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office went door-to-door checking on residents, the sheriff’s statement said.
The National Weather Service said the damage was likely caused by tornadoes and that surveys of the affected areas would be conducted over the weekend.
In Illinois, Leo Zach, 14, had just gotten to the high school band room for a music competition when the building started shaking and the power went out. He said the room was packed with students and some were very scared and had panic attacks.
“I’m definitely on the luckier side of how that could’ve happened,” he said. “I was just trying to stay calm, help other people.”
When they got outside, they found some of the windows blown out in the gym and part of the school’s roof ripped off.
Photos and video posted online showed a garage totaled, bricks torn off of buildings and fences demolished.
Lena is a village of nearly 3,000 people, located about 117 miles (188 kilometers) northwest of Chicago.
Rachel Nemon had been going to pick up her stepson from Lena’s middle school when she had to pull into a car wash to take cover from the storm. She watched a large tree get ripped from the ground and sparks fly feet in front of her.
“This is something that you see online, not in real life, especially in a small town in Illinois,” she said.
Gov. JB Pritzker said in a post on the social platform X that he’s been briefed on the damage and that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is on the ground.
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Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
