Amidst the aftermath of a powerful storm, Wisconsin finds itself grappling with both tornado damage and rising floodwaters, prompting emergency responses across several counties.
The National Weather Service’s Milwaukee-Sullivan office has dispatched teams to evaluate potential tornado damages in counties including Waukesha, Kenosha, Racine, Marquette, and Walworth. Concurrently, some northeast Wisconsin communities are under emergency evacuation orders.
Communities like the village of Shiocton in Outagamie County, along with low-lying areas in Weyawega, Fremont, and New London in Waupaca County, face evacuation due to severe flooding risks.
On Tuesday night, an EF2 tornado struck the village of Lisbon, reaching wind speeds up to 120 mph. Meteorologist Timothy Halbach reported significant damage to a residential area north of Sussex, noting, “There’s a number of houses in a subdivision that had a direct hit from the tornado, with either parts of the roof getting blown off or garage doors and garages being partially destroyed.”
Lisbon Presbyterian Church, built in 1857, suffered considerable damage. Pastor Sara Knowles shared, “There’s a lot of debris that has fallen inside the sanctuary itself, so it’s a big gray dust cloud in there,” highlighting the severity of the destruction.
Resident Jerry Kienest recounted the terrifying moments when the tornado warning sirens blared, noting that his gazebo was shaking, prompting a rush to safety. While his roof sustained leaks, Kienest was thankful for avoiding the worst of the damage.
As floodwaters continue to rise, Shiocton faces a “large scale evacuation,” with the Wolf River expected to rise through Friday. The village has ordered residents to evacuate by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
“The water is rising fast and only expected to get worse in the next couple of days,” a social media post warned, as streets in Shiocton were closed and residents prepared for the worst.
Jim Justice, a resident of Shiocton, echoed the urgency, stressing, “If they’re telling us to evacuate, it’s for a reason.”
In addition to Shiocton, Waupaca County’s low-lying areas face similar evacuation orders, with the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office citing “dangerous flood waters” as the cause.
The looming flood threat extends to the Wisconsin River near Portage, where water levels are expected to reach major flood stages, as announced by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation reported multiple highway closures due to flooding, cautioning that further rainfall could exacerbate conditions across the state.
