Emergency crews work along Highway 45 near Wittenberg after a tree downed by a fierce storm fell across the road. The Shawano Leader provided the photograph. |
Birnamwood, Wittenberg hit July 21, 2010 With the debris from last week’s storm barely cleared, the Birnamwood and Wittenberg area was again lashed by a vicious storm that uprooted trees and cut power to hundreds of homes Tuesday.
While Antigo was enjoying a pleasant and seasonable late afternoon, the heavy thunderstorm tore into Marathon and Shawano counties, just skirting the south Langlade County line.
Wittenberg took the brunt of the damage, with the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department describing the area as “a mess” this morning.
Wittenberg Village President Wes Messier suggested to the Shawano Leader that a tornado had struck in the village, noting that power and communications were cut off and damage was “everywhere.”
The Shawano Leader reported that the storm cut a diagonal swath through the community, tearing down trees, scattering debris across roads and downing power lines.
Hardest hit was the Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, where a half-a-dozen trees were uprooted and portions of the roof were destroyed, the Shawano newspaper reported. A portion of the school’s roof was peeled away and water seeped onto the gymnasium floor.
Highway 45 was closed for a period of time after a large tree fell across the north and southbound lanes . Fire departments also blocked access as power lines and poles were strewn across roadways.
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department set up a mobile command unit in Wittenberg and the American Red Cross also came to the village. Shawano County Emergency management Director Steve Haskin said the officials were expected to be in contact with utility companies into the morning hours until power was restored.
“There are some people struggling to stay in their homes without any power at all,” he said.
The storm also battered Birnamwood, with power outages reported and roofs damaged including at the Verizon telephone office.
In the town of Belle Plaine, located southwest of the city of Shawano, a woman was injured when a tree fell on top of her. Officials described her injuries as serious but an update on her medical condition was not provided.
To the west of Shawano County, Wausau also reported wind, rain and damage.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Rich Manrosch told the Wausau Daily Herald that the storm’s path started in Athens, went across the city of Wausau and continued eastward into Wittenberg.
Forty-five mile per hour winds were reported at the Wausau Downtown Airport, where just under a half-a-inch of rain fell in an hour.
At noon, the Wisconsin Public Service reported that an estimated 420 Wausau area customers remained without power.
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