Tornadoes, huge hail tear through Wisconsin and Iowa as multi-day severe storm threat continues
By Meteorologists Briana Waxman, Dakota Smith
(CNN) — Tornadoes and baseball-sized hail tore through parts of Wisconsin and Iowa on Tuesday evening, leaving behind damaged buildings and at least one home destroyed.
The severe weather is part of a multi-day outbreak that began Monday and will continue through the end of the week from the southern Plains to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. Similar areas remain at risk Wednesday, with threats for large hail, damaging winds and additional tornadoes stretching from Dallas to Chicago.
Power outages were creeping up Wednesday morning, with more than 62,000 reported in Michigan and more than 20,000 in Wisconsin, according to PowerOutage.us.
Flooding is also a serious concern in parts of the Great Lakes, where rivers are already running high and some dams in Wisconsin are at risk of failing.
Tornado damage reported
A nasty storm prompted a “particularly dangerous situation” tornado warning Tuesday as a destructive twister struck near Union Center, Wisconsin. Juneau County Emergency Management said multiple structures were damaged and power lines were down, but no injuries or deaths were reported. Damage assessments will continue into the morning, while the Salvation Army and Red Cross assist displaced residents.
Tornado warnings were issued for millions in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin; Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Fayetteville, Arkansas Tuesday night into early Wednesday. Students and staff at the University of Michigan and University of Arkansas were advised to take shelter.
Powerful severe thunderstorms also moved through Chicago and Grand Rapids, Michigan, where an 80 mph wind gust was observed at the airport.
Softball-sized hail fell near Maple Bluff, Wisconsin. Stones this large are capable of seriously injuring people, totaling vehicles and puncturing roofs.
More than a dozen tornadoes were reported Monday across parts of Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, including a damaging EF2 in Miami County, Kansas. The storm damaged about 100 structures — roughly 50 to 60 of them completely — with much of the impact centered around Hillsdale, according to Miami County Undersheriff Matthew Kelly.
Dangerous severe storm threat continues through late week
Wednesday is expected to bring yet another round of strong storms, but wind damage and hail, rather than tornadoes, appear to be the biggest concerns in most areas. Far northern Texas, Oklahoma and southeast Kansas have the highest chance at seeing severe storms that are more impactful, but the risk zone extends as far north as the Upper Mississippi Valley and as far east as Central Pennsylvania.
The storm threat is lower and less widespread on Thursday, contained to a smaller area across the Ohio River Valley.
One more surge of jet stream energy will fire up a final round of potent thunderstorms on Friday, especially from Oklahoma to Iowa. Strong tornadoes and destructive hail and winds are all on the table.
This system could produce one final burst of severe storms on Saturday in the southern Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. The storm-weary central US will then finally get a multi-day breather starting Sunday because a weather pattern change will usher in cooler temperatures.
Flooding worsens across the Great Lakes
Multiple rounds of rain are exacerbating flooding across parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, where rivers are already running high after one of the wettest starts to spring on record and ongoing snowmelt. There is a Level 2 of 4 threat of flash flooding in place for parts of the Upper Midwest Wednesday.
In Milwaukee, rapidly rising water stranded multiple drivers near Timmerman Airport, where at least five vehicles became stuck in floodwaters, according to CNN affiliate WTMJ. All occupants were able to get out safely after emergency crews responded. CNN has reached out to local officials for details.
The Chicago area saw significant street flooding Tuesday night as O’Hare International Airport recorded 2.21 inches of rain between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m., most of which fell in a deluge between 10 p.m. and midnight.
More water rescues and evacuation orders were reported Tuesday in Cheboygan, Michigan, where authorities have issued a notice to evacuate low areas along the Cheboygan River due to a levee breach of the Little Black River Watershed.
Firefighters in Suamico, Wisconsin, just north of Green Bay, rescued three people from a flooded home as water levels continued to rise, a Tuesday morning post from the fire department stated.
The Muskegon River near Evart, Michigan, is forecast to hit major flood stage — 14 feet — by Thursday. Subdivisions along the river upstream from the town would see major flooding at that level and it could trigger evacuations, according to the National Weather Service.
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CNN’s Hanna Park contributed to this report.
