Storm damage closes a northwoods jewel to camping for the time being. Jim Bishop with the Department of Natural Resources says Tuesday night’s severe weather damaged about fifty percent of the campsites on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage in Iron County. “A lot more than initially thought,” says Bishop. “Picnic tables that were smashed, fire rings with trees down on them. Our crews right now are looking at the most damaged sites. Bishop says it’s too early say when camping will reopen. There are seventy campsites on the flowage billed as the “Crown Jewel of Wisconsin,” and for now, all are closed to the public. [Read more...]

Severe storms have downed trees in one of the state’s premier recreational areas. Lori Getter with Wisconsin Emergency Management says storms, and possible tornadoes, hammered parts of northwestern Wisconsin Tuesday night. “Most of the damage was caused by downed trees, downed power lines,” says Getter. “The hardest areas were Iron County and Barron County. Around the Turtle Flambeau Flowage there was a lot of damage, lots of downed trees. They had to evacuate campers.” There were also at least three injuries, with one person airlifted to a hospital. DNR crews are on the ground making damage assessments around the 19,000 acre flowage, a premier northwoods destination for campers and anglers. Getter says for the time being, the public is being asked to stay clear of the area. In Barron County, investigators are looking into reports of a tornado south of Cameron. There were no reports of injuries there.

WHBY’s Mike Kemmeter contributed to this report