CHICAGO — The Upper Midwest experienced a turbulent weather event on Saturday as fierce winds and possible tornadoes swept through, leaving behind a trail of chaos in rural areas.
Several communities faced significant destruction, with rooftops torn from homes, power lines downed, and roads blocked by debris. Remarkably, no casualties were reported.
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“We are very fortunate that this storm did not lead to any fatalities or major injuries,” remarked Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall regarding the storm that struck Lena, Illinois, on Friday.
Authorities in both Wisconsin and Minnesota shared similar relief.
In central Wisconsin, a tornado struck the towns of Kronenwetter and Ringle on Friday afternoon, damaging homes and temporarily trapping some residents in their basements, according to Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman.
During a press briefing on Friday night, Marathon County Sheriff Chad Billeb noted that he had never witnessed such extensive damage in his 34-year career 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.
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