Tornadoes And Severe Winds Leave Heavy Damage Across Upper Midwest Towns
Tornadoes and severe winds ripped through Upper Midwest towns this week, causing widespread structural damage and power outages.
Tornadoes touched down in towns from Illinois and Wisconsin to Minnesota and Kansas, ripping roofs off homes and damaging schools where students sheltered. Lena, Illinois, was ordered shut down after a reported touchdown that left downed trees and power lines and forced traffic closures. In central Wisconsin, a tornado tore through Kronenwetter and Ringle, trapping residents briefly in basements and heavily damaging homes. Officials reported an older man's house in Rochester, Minnesota was heavily damaged, and Marion Township in Olmsted County saw about 30 homes harmed. Suburban Kansas City and parts of Oklahoma also saw destroyed homes, downed trees and power outages as crews began searches and repairs.
More than 51 million people face severe weather risk Friday evening from Texas to Wisconsin, with threats of strong tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. The National Weather Service named the Upper Mississippi Valley — parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin — as the best chance for strong tornadoes on Friday. Forecasters also warned hail could be baseball-sized in places, winds could reach 70 mph in stretches from Texas to Green Bay, and the severe threat will shift east Saturday. Michigan faced separate but severe flooding, with Muskegon River at record highs and water near breaching a dam in Cheboygan amid a 33-county state of emergency. More than 70,000 customers were without power across the Midwest and Great Lakes, while at least one person was killed earlier by a suspected lightning strike during flooding. Social media and meteorologists echoed warnings, noting an active tornado season in Michigan with nine confirmed touchdowns and urging people to stay alert at night. Others on social media criticized national attention, saying poorly maintained dams worsened flooding and that farm losses from winds and floodwaters have been devastating.
Coverage has shifted from early reports of extensive tornado damage and possible injuries to later updates emphasizing widespread property damage but few or no fatalities in the recent storms. CBS initially led with on-the-ground accounts of Lena being 'shut down' and heavy school damage. Later updates from PBS and CBS emphasized that Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota reported no deaths from the recent storms and that formal National Weather Service damage surveys are forthcoming.
📌 Key Facts
- Severe tornadoes and damaging winds struck multiple Upper Midwest communities earlier in the week, with touchdowns reported in Lena, Illinois; Rochester, Minnesota; Kronenwetter and Ringle, Wisconsin; and a tornado in suburban Kansas City, producing extensive structural damage but few reported serious injuries.
- Local authorities declared Lena, IL 'shut down' because of downed trees and power lines; Lena High School and the elementary school sustained exterior/roof damage while students sheltered inside, and residents were warned to stay off roads as a second storm approached.
- At least 30 homes in Marion Township, Olmsted County, MN were damaged, prompting door‑to‑door checks by state and local agencies; in central Wisconsin residents were briefly trapped in basements amid widespread home damage.
- More than 70,000 customers were without power across the Midwest and Great Lakes; additional localized damage was reported in Oklahoma (Ponca City, Kay County, McCord), including downed trees, roof damage to homes, and a damaged marina at Kaw Lake.
- State and local emergency agencies, including the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, are responding on the ground, and the National Weather Service said damage was likely caused by tornadoes and will conduct formal surveys over the weekend.
- Forecasts warn of another round of severe weather: over 51 million people from Texas to Wisconsin face risk Friday evening of strong tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds (up to ~70 mph), and flash flooding; the Upper Mississippi Valley has the highest chance for strong tornadoes, with large‑hail risk highlighted for Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and Michigan.
- The severe threat is expected to shift east on Saturday to cities such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo as a cold front moves through.
- Michigan is also grappling with historic flooding — the Muskegon River reached record highs, water is dangerously close to breaching a dam near Cheboygan, evacuations have occurred, and a state of emergency now covers 33 counties.
- Officials reported no deaths from the latest burst of severe storms in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, though a 41‑year‑old man in Wisconsin was killed by a suspected lightning strike during recent flooding and storms.
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Officials report no deaths from the latest burst of severe storms in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
- A tornado tore through Kronenwetter and Ringle in central Wisconsin, with residents briefly trapped in basements and extensive home damage.
- Olmsted County, Minnesota officials say at least 30 homes in Marion Township were damaged, many with significant destruction, prompting door-to-door checks by state and local agencies.
- Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall in Lena, Illinois reports severe building damage but no serious injuries at a high school where part of the roof was ripped off during a band competition.
- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is on the ground responding in affected areas.
- The National Weather Service said damage was likely caused by tornadoes and will conduct formal surveys over the weekend.
- Reports at least one tornado touched down in Rochester, Minnesota on Friday, heavily damaging an 89-year-old man's house but causing no injuries.
- Confirms a tornado in suburban Kansas City destroyed homes and knocked out power without causing deaths or serious injuries.
- Details additional Oklahoma damage, including downed trees and power lines in Ponca City, Kay County, and Osage County's McCord area, plus roof damage to homes and a damaged marina at Kaw Lake.
- Updates outage figures to more than 70,000 customers without power across the Midwest and Great Lakes as of Saturday morning.
- Notes National Weather Service forecast for another round of severe thunderstorms Saturday afternoon and night across the Southern Plains, Mississippi Valley, and Great Lakes.
- A tornado touchdown was reported in Lena, Illinois, about 48 miles west of Rockford, with extensive damage in the town.
- The Stephenson County Sheriff's Office declared Lena 'shut down,' barring all traffic in or out due to downed trees and power lines.
- Lena High School and the elementary school reportedly suffered exterior damage while students were sheltering inside, though no injuries were reported.
- Local police issued urgent alerts warning residents to stay off roads and prepare for a second storm approaching the already damaged area.
- PBS includes in its news wrap that millions across the Midwest are facing the risk of severe storms, consistent with ongoing severe weather forecasts already captured in the existing Midwest storms story but without additional geographic or timing specifics.
- Forecast details that more than 51 million people face severe weather risk Friday evening from Texas to Wisconsin, including strong tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding.
- National Weather Service highlights the Upper Mississippi Valley (parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin) as having the best chance for strong tornadoes on Friday.
- Large hail risk is specifically flagged for Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and Michigan, with damaging winds up to 70 mph possible from Texas up to Green Bay.
- Saturday's severe threat shifts east to cities including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo as a cold front moves through and brings more seasonal temperatures next week.
- Michigan’s Muskegon River has reached new record highs, and water is dangerously close to breaching a dam in Cheboygan as part of a state of emergency covering 33 counties.
- Article notes a 41-year-old man in Wisconsin was killed by a suspected lightning strike during recent flooding and storms.
- CBS reports communities across the Midwest are still cleaning up from tornadoes that hit earlier in the week.
- Forecasts now warn of another threat of violent storms on Friday for parts of the Midwest region.
- CBS notes that historic flooding in Michigan has already triggered evacuations in some areas.