Wisconsin faced a series of intense thunderstorms over the past week, culminating in a particularly severe storm on Friday night. This recent bout of extreme weather follows a week marked by multiple tornadoes across the state.
Dan Baumgardt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service stationed in La Crosse, indicated that survey teams have been dispatched to investigate seven potential tornadoes in the west-central region of Wisconsin. He anticipates the final count of tornadoes could reach “double-digits” once all assessments are completed.
“It could be one of the higher tornado totals in the state of Wisconsin, certainly for April,” Baumgardt noted.
Fortunately, no fatalities or significant injuries have been reported in Wisconsin to date.
On Friday alone, Baumgardt’s office issued 26 tornado warnings. “Just to give you a feel for how busy that was, we’ve never issued 26 tornado warnings in our area since 1995, when our office was built,” Baumgardt said.
Saturday saw meteorologists following tornado activities in Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, Clark, Marathon, and Rock counties.
At a Friday night press conference, Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman reported that a tornado had destroyed 75 homes in Marathon County, saying, “It took out a whole residential area.”
Marathon County Sheriff Chad Billeb described the impact as unprecedented for the community. “I have not seen anything to this level,” Billeb said. “I’ve worked through a number of tornadoes, but for them to hit a residential area like this is rare in Marathon County.”
Meanwhile, Rock County officials are monitoring the Rock River for possible flooding following a tornado and train derailment in the area.
Rock County Sheriff Curt Fell stated that numerous roads in Janesville and the surrounding county remain blocked. The train that derailed Friday evening was carrying grains and corn, with the conductor sustaining non-life-threatening injuries and being treated at a local hospital.
“Over the next few days we’ll be coordinating closely with the city of Janesville and those impacted communities to try to assess and identify any unmet needs,” Fell said.
According to Baumgardt, this week’s volatile weather was driven by a dynamic weather pattern originating from the Gulf of Mexico, which extended further north than usual. However, he cautioned against assuming that this pattern will continue throughout the spring. “The pattern could shift and we could shut down for weeks at a time,” he said, emphasizing the potential for severe weather in Wisconsin during April, mainly in the state’s southern regions.
