Man captures terrifying footage as lightning strike illuminates night sky
A confirmed EF-3 tornado on Tuesday night in Wisconsin caused heavy damage to vehicles and buildings. At least one home was destroyed and at least two individuals were treated for injuries in the twister's aftermath.
In the cover of night, the twister roared through the region in darkness. One man, Shane Solo, filmed the ominous lightning flashes illuminating the tornado as it tore across the area.
Striking near the Chippewa-Dunn County line, west of Eau Claire, footage showed at least three semi-trucks overturned. A driver from one of those trucks was taken to the hospital with injuries.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that the tornado struck near Elk Mound and Wheaton at 7:53 p.m. CDT. With a peak wind speed of 150 mph and a width of one third of a mile, the destructive tornado was on the ground for more than five miles.
 |
The most damage was dealt in Elk Mound, where at least one home was completely leveled and over 100 storage units were destroyed. In response to the twister's damage, Elk Mound High School opened its building as a shelter for any residents who needed it.
"In the morning, please remind our student drivers to drive carefully and watch for down power lines and branches on the roads," the Elk Mound Area School District said in a Facebook post. "Please stay safe tonight and keep our Mounder families in your thoughts."
As many of you know, Chippewa County had a tornado touch down in the Town of Wheaton. We are asking that you if are not...
Posted by Chippewa County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, September 24, 2019
As the sun rose Wednesday morning and shed light on the damages left behind the tornado, videos also emerged showing toppled semi-trucks, downed power lines and scattered debris.
"Oh my God, I am shaking right now," Solo is heard saying in his video. "I don't know which way to go. It's going this way, but it looks like it's coming at us. This is insane."
Solo's video depicts rain and heavy winds roaring as the tornado becomes visible in the backdrop.
Of the three semi-trailers that overturned along Wisconsin Highway 29, one driver was injured, according to reports. Another injury was reported when a mobile home in the area overturned.
According to a tweet from the Eau Claire County Emergency Management team, Chippewa County responders were asking for the public to let crews clean debris and safely remove power lines before residents offer to volunteer.
Drone footage captured by Ryan Zweifelhofer shows just how extensive the damage was in the storm's aftermath.
