Leader Staff
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Three people were inside a 33-foot camper parked outside their home in Lessor when strong winds Wednesday toppled the recreational vehicle onto its roof.
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Flash flooding slows traffic to a crawl Wednesday along state Highway 47 in Bonduel after storms dumped heavy rain in the area.
Tornado sirens, reports of funnel clouds and ominous thunder kept Shawano and Menominee County residents on edge much of the day Wednesday as a string of heavy storms hammered the region.
Sirens blared twice Wednesday, about 1:45 p.m. and again at 3:45 when tornadoes were reported west of Pulaski and southeast of the Navarino Wildlife Area.
Shawano County Emergency Management late Wednesday issued a rundown of damage recorded throughout the afternoon, including structural damage to homes and outbuildings, blocked roads and downed power lines.
“The extent of this damage will be formally assessed following rendering of any emergency assistance that may be needed,” Emergency Management Director Natalie Easterday said in a statement.
“The storm tracked northeast primarily through the towns of Lessor, Maple Grove and Angelica,” she said. “Law enforcement and emergency responders from multiple volunteer agencies are currently assessing damage and moving from home to home to check for injuries.”
A temporary reception center has been established at the Lessor Town Hall for displaced residents. Residents in need of services are asked to report to the town hall at W4055 Landstad Road.
Three people escaped serious injury in Lessor when strong winds blew over a parked recreational vehicle with them inside.
“It was freaky,” said Keith Parm, 23, who was playing video games with his two brothers inside the 33-foot camper parked outside their home on Old 47 Road. When the storm struck, the camper was rolled onto its roof and the three brothers were jostled around inside, all suffering minor bumps and bruises.
“It just toppled right over,” Parm said. “We were just rolling around inside.”
At state Highway 156 and Elm Road in Lessor, emergency crews were helping clean up after a farm shed was destroyed, leaving pieces of the aluminum shed blown all over the property and across the road.
Another home on Shady Road in Lessor sustained roof damage and downed trees in the yard.
Nicole Passehl said her father and stepmother live at the house on Shady Road, but they apparently were not home when the storm struck.
“We’re thinking it’s not going to be an easy fix,” Passehl said.
A tornado was also reported to have touched down near Keshena, though Menominee County Emergency Management Director Shelley Williams said those reports were not accurate. She said there was a funnel cloud reported west of the area, however.
The state Department of Transportation reported lane closures and detours as a result of accidents on state Highway 117 at Highway 29 in Bonduel, and on Highway 29 at Highway 160 near Pulaski.
The Bonduel Village Board canceled its Wednesday meeting due to flooding.
The city of Shawano reported a power outage on the east side and some flooded streets but no major damage.
“The public should remain vigilant to rapidly changing and potentially hazardous conditions involving structural damage to roadways, obstruction or downed power lines, if travelling,” Easterday said. “Motorists are advised not to travel through flooded roadways.”