STORM2K

Good evening everyone. An amazing night tonight across Wisconsin as a strong cold front plows east southeastward. Behind the front, lows close to freezing tonight at International Falls, Minnesota. Meanwhile low temps in the 60s ahead of the front across southern Lower Michigan points southward into the Ohio Valley. That contrast in airmasses combined with strong jet stream energy is fueling one of the more intense tornado outbreaks of the year for Wisconsin. The count is now up to 16 tornadoes in Wisconsin. But there has also been up to 2 inch diameter hail reported as well as straightline wind gusts up to 80 mph.

Elsewhere in the nation, there was one tornado reported today in eastern Oregon that downed trees in Baker COunty, Oregon. Another tornado was reported in Dover, North Carolina earlier today and there was another tornado associated with a meso low in Wharton, Texas just to the southwest of Houston. One brick home sustained heavy damage to it's roof and porch and 2 mobile homes were damaged in this tornado in Wharton, TX earlier today.

Counting the Wisconsin tornadoes that occurred tonight to the tornadoes across the rest of the country, 19 tornadoes were reported today across the United States, 16 of those in Wisconsin. Unfortunately one of those tornadoes in Wisconsin was fatal. 1 victim was deceased in Markesan, Wisconsin in Green Lake County. Numerous injuries have been reported and some homes were simply demolished with these storms tonight. A very dangerous life threatening situation earlier this evening for Wisconsin. Unfortunately this same complex of storms continues to slam into lower Michigan with wind gusts over 60 mph and large trees down as a result. Power outages are a real possibility with this line of severe storms. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for south central lower Michigan including Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Detroit valid until 5 AM EDT. More updates will be issued on this as the night progresses.

Jim

One Dead in Wisconsin Tornado Outbreak

Rural Markesan man killed

City of Waupun Closed to Non-Residents

14-ton CBS 5 Production truck tossed in the storm

Jun 24, 2004 12:30 am US/Central

Shortly After 8 P.M. A Tornado Touched Town In Waupaca County. Two Homes Were Damaged But There Have Been No Reports Of Any Injury. According To WFRV Chief Meteorologist Tom Mahoney, The Storm Continued Moving East At 45 M.P.H. Bearing Down On The Fox Cities.

The Next Report Of The Tornado Touchdown Was At The Fox Cities Studios Of WFRV, CBS 5 News at Highways 41 and N in Little Chute.

Shortly After 9 P.M. The 14 Ton Production Truck Owned By WFRV Was Picked Up And Put Down On Its Side. It Was Parked Aiming East, But The Circulation Around The Eastward Moving Tornado Gave It A Right Hook And Over It Went. At The Same Time, A Camper Travelling Along Highway 41 Was Overturned On The Highway. Little Chute Emergency Personnel Were On The Scene For Environmental Reasons In Case Of Fuel Leaks. There Were No Injuries.

CBS 5 Reporter Jim Winchester Reported Debris In The CBS 5 Parking Lot That Included Shingles And Lumber. It Had Blown In From Another Area. Also He Reported Two Snowmobiles In An Adjacent Lot. Again, No One Knew Where They Came From, But Obviously Were Carried By The Wind And Dropped There.

Homes near Victor Haen Elementary School in Kaukauna sustained damage when the tornado struck north of the intersection of Elderberry Lane and Harrison Street.

Clay Eiting was in the basement of the duplex he owns at 1523 Harrison St. when the tornado struck.

"I was watching the news on TV and heard there was a tornado coming," Eiting said. "Then I heard on the radio reports that it was five miles west of Kaukauna and moving this way."

"All of a sudden everything started flying. I could see it flying outside. I didn’t hear anything."

After the tornado passed, Eiting walked outside to find the duplex shifted off its foundation. Parts of the roof and garage were blown away.

A neighboring duplex also was heavily damaged and blown partly off its foundation.

Across the street, another house was nearly destroyed by the tornado. Eiting said the residents had moved into the new house about three weeks ago.

Debris hung from power lines and was scattered throughout the neighborhood.

"It was incredible. Absolutely incredible," Eiting said.

Kaukauna Mayor John Lambie said the city planned to declare a state of emergency today. The Common Council was set to meet in an emergency session to review the situation.

"The damage is much worse than we originally expected," he said of the storm, which damaged two residential areas and the industrial park. The other residential area that was hard hit was the Sherry Lane neighborhood on the north side.

Rhonda Hughes, 37, and her son, Clinton Frohlich, 8, of Appleton were driving down 41 when the tornado hit Kaukauna.

"I grew up in this area and never, never saw a tornado before," Hughes said. "We were driving down 41 and I said, 'Look at those clouds' and then I said, 'That's a real tornado.'"

Hughes said they drove their car under the 41 bridge near County N, along with other vehicles, to wait out the storm.

Wendy Parks of We Energies said 125 customers throughout the Fox Vallley were without electrical service due to wind and rain.

In Green Lake County, 53-year-old Arnold Gallenbeck was killed and his wife was critically injured when the storm ripped apart their rural home near Markesan. Gallenbeck was found in a field near the house.

Sgt. Jim Gorman of the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department said the tornado in Dayton caused extensive damage in an area from Radley Road to County E.

"We have two homes that are completely destroyed. We have numerous barns that are down. We have livestock that are trapped. Sheds are down."

He said all employees of the sheriff’s department and all area fire departments and emergency medical services were called in. A local construction company sent equipment to assist, he said.

Among the communities hit hardest is Waupun, where damage is
estimated at $1 million. Authorities shut down Waupun to access by anyone except residents. It is under a state of emergency while crews work to clear the downed trees and repair power lines.

Dodge County emergency managers say there's $5 million
damage in the towns of Leroy and Lomira.