Flipped cars, flattened barn in Wisconsin was caused by tornado, NWS confirms
Weather officials have confirmed that a tornado tore through an area of Wisconsin during the Wednesday storm that also saw 80 mph winds and left a trail of damage in its wake.
The National Weather Service confirmed that the western part of the state was hit by high winds, funnel clouds and a 105 mph, EF-1 tornado after several clusters of thunderstorms "erupted" Wednesday afternoon.
The storms developed over southeastern Minnesota, with two "very brief tornadoes" touching down in Viola and Chester, Minnesota, before growing in strength as they crossed the border.
A tornado east of River Falls in Pierce County – about 30 miles from St. Paul – flipped cars, flattened a barn and churned up large trees by their roots, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Between 2-3 inches of rain fell and wind gusts of between 60-80 mph were experienced, damaging property and causing flash flooding in areas of western Wisconsin.
One person was injured in the barn collapse and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
WCCO reports that roofs were torn off houses while residents took cover after the tornado siren warned them of the impending twister.
The two tornadoes in Minnesota were smaller, the NWS says, with top speeds of around 65 mph.
As the storm progressed across Wisconsin, this awesome picture was taken by Joseph Frederickson near Ixonia, and shared on Facebook.
