LANCASTER - A thunderstorm with high winds caused extensive damage throughout Iowa and Grant counties Monday but seemed to largely miss Green County.
The Hollandale area had so much damage from downed trees, the village decided to shut down, Village President Meta Chrostowski told WISC-TV Monday afternoon. Homes were damaged from fallen trees, bleachers from the local ballfield were blown into Wisconsin 191 and a downed power line caused a house to catch on fire. Several area fire departments were in the village to help with clean-up efforts, according to online reports.
Hazel Green, Belmont and Lancaster also reported numerous problems with trees that fell, damaging residential and farm buildings.
Downed trees and wires were also a problem in the New Glarus and Blanchardville areas. The Edelweis Country Club in New Glarus reported losing about a dozen trees in the storm, and the Badger State Trail was not passable for bicyclists near the golf course.
As of Monday afternoon, about 32,000 Wisconsin residents were without power - 22,000 in the Milwaukee area and 10,000 in southwestern Wisconsin.
While all of Green County was included in the severe weather warning Monday morning, no significant damage was reported in the Monroe area. Heavy rains fell during the morning hours, but a second line of storms forecast for the afternoon never materialized.
To the south, officials in Jo Daviess county in Illinois reported damaged buildings and downed trees and power lines, but no injuries.
Severe weather was reported throughout the Midwest.
Five people were rescued from damaged buildings in a Michigan town and thunderstorms packing strong winds caused damage in Iowa.
A mother and two small children were rescued from a collapsed Goodwill store and two others were helped Monday afternoon from a damaged pharmacy in Portland, 25 miles northwest of the Michigan state capital of Lansing.
"We had people trapped in some of the buildings. They have been removed and are fine," Portland Fire Chief John Baker told reporters. He said there may have been some minor injuries to residents but no one has been hospitalized.
The National Weather Service confirmed late Monday that Portland had been hit with a tornado rated EF1 with winds of around 100 mph.
The storm was part of a string of bad weather that hurtled into Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
A wind gust of 95 mph was recorded near the small northwest Iowa town of Sheldon, destroying a hangar at the local airport.
The Times-Herald in Dubuque, Iowa said high winds on Monday lifted the roof off a Menominee, Illinois fire station.
Menominee-Dunleith Fire Department Capt. Al Fleege told the newspaper that two of the three vehicles in the building were severely damaged by the collapse. There were no injuries.
The Chicago Department of Aviation reported that airlines servicing Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports canceled more than 500 flights because of weather concerns.
The Hollandale area had so much damage from downed trees, the village decided to shut down, Village President Meta Chrostowski told WISC-TV Monday afternoon. Homes were damaged from fallen trees, bleachers from the local ballfield were blown into Wisconsin 191 and a downed power line caused a house to catch on fire. Several area fire departments were in the village to help with clean-up efforts, according to online reports.
Hazel Green, Belmont and Lancaster also reported numerous problems with trees that fell, damaging residential and farm buildings.
Downed trees and wires were also a problem in the New Glarus and Blanchardville areas. The Edelweis Country Club in New Glarus reported losing about a dozen trees in the storm, and the Badger State Trail was not passable for bicyclists near the golf course.
As of Monday afternoon, about 32,000 Wisconsin residents were without power - 22,000 in the Milwaukee area and 10,000 in southwestern Wisconsin.
While all of Green County was included in the severe weather warning Monday morning, no significant damage was reported in the Monroe area. Heavy rains fell during the morning hours, but a second line of storms forecast for the afternoon never materialized.
To the south, officials in Jo Daviess county in Illinois reported damaged buildings and downed trees and power lines, but no injuries.
Severe weather was reported throughout the Midwest.
Five people were rescued from damaged buildings in a Michigan town and thunderstorms packing strong winds caused damage in Iowa.
A mother and two small children were rescued from a collapsed Goodwill store and two others were helped Monday afternoon from a damaged pharmacy in Portland, 25 miles northwest of the Michigan state capital of Lansing.
"We had people trapped in some of the buildings. They have been removed and are fine," Portland Fire Chief John Baker told reporters. He said there may have been some minor injuries to residents but no one has been hospitalized.
The National Weather Service confirmed late Monday that Portland had been hit with a tornado rated EF1 with winds of around 100 mph.
The storm was part of a string of bad weather that hurtled into Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
A wind gust of 95 mph was recorded near the small northwest Iowa town of Sheldon, destroying a hangar at the local airport.
The Times-Herald in Dubuque, Iowa said high winds on Monday lifted the roof off a Menominee, Illinois fire station.
Menominee-Dunleith Fire Department Capt. Al Fleege told the newspaper that two of the three vehicles in the building were severely damaged by the collapse. There were no injuries.
The Chicago Department of Aviation reported that airlines servicing Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports canceled more than 500 flights because of weather concerns.