ST CROIX FALLS, Wis. — Multiple rounds of powerful storms left their mark on Wisconsin Monday, with two confirmed tornados — an EF0 and EF1 — both touching down in the northeastern part of the state.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed the EF1 tornado touched down near Rusk, Wisconsin around 7:30 p.m. Monday. NWS officials believe it carried 80- to 90-mph winds, while carving a path of destruction for approximately six miles.
The community of St. Croix Falls was also hit hard, recording an EF0 tornado with a path around a mile long. Todd Krause with NWS confirmed the tornado Tuesday, saying it traveled about 81 miles per hour.
Weather officials initially reported one strong cell moved through Monday morning, and then again around 5:45 p.m., knocking down trees and powerlines, and destroying buildings and grain bins at a number of farms nearby.
Debbie Petzel told KARE 11 Sunrise reporter Cece Gaines that a 100-year-old dairy barn was flattened by wind gusts during the morning storm, and a large grain bin was ripped off its slab and tossed between 50 and 100 yards. She said the storm began with hail, and then the winds came up strong. When the cell passed they walked outside and came face to face with all the damage.
"We didn't expect this," she sighed.
The Beyl farm also suffered significant damage from Monday's rocky weather. Several barns and outbuildings were knocked down, farm equipment damaged and a cow that had just delivered a calf was struck by flying sheet metal. Owner Tom Beyl said despite the significant damage to his operation, he was actually thankful no one was hurt.
"It got darker, pretty soon lighting was hitting, it was like "zap, bang," and then all of a sudden wind hit like a freight train and you couldn't see a thing besdies tin flying by the window," Beyl recalled.
He shared that several neighbors down Highway 87 also suffered significant impacts from the storm.
KARE 11 photojournalist David Peterlinz spent Monday night following the storm cell and chronicling the damage left behind. He found that the entire community of Taylors Falls was left without power for a period of time.
Storm damage from the Petzel farm near St. Croix Falls
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