MONROE - Randy Menzel said Lafayette County farmers had been talking recently about how to handle a potentially very large corn crop in the coming months.
"All that suddenly came to an end today for many producers," Menzel, of Olsen's Crop Service, LLC, in Belmont, said Friday night.
That was after severe winds, hail and rain ripped through Lafayette County and other parts of western Wisconsin Friday evening.
"Some of the corn was reduced to only stalks without leaves," Menzel said. "Some of the soybean plants had no leaves left after the storm went through. The path of the hail was several miles wide."
The heaviest damage he saw was south and east of Belmont along Wisconsin 126 and Wis. 81 toward Darlington.
Lafayette County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Mary Paisley said two funnel clouds were reported in the county Friday, but wasn't sure if there were two separate funnel clouds or if the same one was reported by two people. She said deputies checked the area where one tornado touched down but couldn't find any damage that would indicate any signs of a tornado.
The storm hit the southwest portion of the county, Paisley said.
A barn was damaged on County O and there were some reports of sheds damaged, as well.
Paisley said there were some trees down. She also said quarter-sized and pea-sized hail was reported.
Wisconsin Emergency Management said there were reports of damage to five barns and sheds and one home in Lafayette County. There were no reported injuries.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning until 10 p.m. Friday for the southwest half of Lafayette County. According to the NWS, between 1.5 inches and 2.25 inches of rain fell through 7 p.m.
The weather caused the Green County Fair to delay a performance by Neal McCoy, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. The rides at the fair were canceled due to lightning and winds. People still gathered around the food vendors, the beer tent and animal barns.
The NWS forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms and showers after 1 p.m. today with a 30 percent chance of rain.
"All that suddenly came to an end today for many producers," Menzel, of Olsen's Crop Service, LLC, in Belmont, said Friday night.
That was after severe winds, hail and rain ripped through Lafayette County and other parts of western Wisconsin Friday evening.
"Some of the corn was reduced to only stalks without leaves," Menzel said. "Some of the soybean plants had no leaves left after the storm went through. The path of the hail was several miles wide."
The heaviest damage he saw was south and east of Belmont along Wisconsin 126 and Wis. 81 toward Darlington.
Lafayette County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Mary Paisley said two funnel clouds were reported in the county Friday, but wasn't sure if there were two separate funnel clouds or if the same one was reported by two people. She said deputies checked the area where one tornado touched down but couldn't find any damage that would indicate any signs of a tornado.
The storm hit the southwest portion of the county, Paisley said.
A barn was damaged on County O and there were some reports of sheds damaged, as well.
Paisley said there were some trees down. She also said quarter-sized and pea-sized hail was reported.
Wisconsin Emergency Management said there were reports of damage to five barns and sheds and one home in Lafayette County. There were no reported injuries.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning until 10 p.m. Friday for the southwest half of Lafayette County. According to the NWS, between 1.5 inches and 2.25 inches of rain fell through 7 p.m.
The weather caused the Green County Fair to delay a performance by Neal McCoy, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. The rides at the fair were canceled due to lightning and winds. People still gathered around the food vendors, the beer tent and animal barns.
The NWS forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms and showers after 1 p.m. today with a 30 percent chance of rain.