Severe flooding and multiple twisters have left a trail of destruction through America’s heartland. The heavy rains trapped drivers in Wisconsin in waist-deep water last night, while devastating tornadoes destroyed homes and businesses.
In Milwaukee, residents watched garbage cans floating away as streets turned into rushing torrents from three inches of rain. Wisconsin’s governor was forced to declare a state of emergency.
Twisters ripped across both Wisconsin and Michigan, leaving a trail of downed trees and damaged houses.
One Michigan resident said, “The sirens went off so I kind of just laid there, then the wind started getting strong so I got up and looked out back and we headed to the basement at that point, it sounded like one of my windows blew out of my house and I think that must be when the trees fell down on the house.”
In Carson City, Michigan, authorities were trying to round up cows at Hull’s Dairy Farm that got out after a tornado tore through.
Assessing the damage, farm owner Janet Hull said, “It’s a lot. I don’t even know how to begin. There’s barn repairs, roof repairs, animals loose…”
In Sussex, Wisconsin, it looked like a war zone. A rescue worker said of one neighborhood, “I walked to the other end and it is not very good. There’s units where the roof is collapsed in, windows blown out, garage doors are ripped off.”
In Ann Arbor, Michigan, high winds or a tornado ripped part of the roof off Yost Ice Arena, home of the University of Michigan hockey team.
Meanwhile, a rare spring heat wave continues in the East.
