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Weak tornado hits Dane County Village of Deerfield

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A weak tornado hit Deerfield, in Dane County on Thursday. National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Halbach says the EF-0zero twister hit without warning just before 4:00 in the afternoon.

“These weaker ones that are shorter lived are very hard for us to pick up,” he said. “When we do get some kind of signature on radar, a lot of times by the time we get a warning out, the tornado’s already gone.”


The area had been under a severe thunderstorm warning, but Halbach says the tornado wasn’t part of that system, but rather storms that were moving through to the south. The tornado has been ranked EF-0 but still did significant damage to a business, International Machinery Exchange. No one was injured.

WIBA

Dangerous temperatures to hit southern Wisconsin this weekend

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The southern half of Wisconsin is set to have a blisteringly hot weekend.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Steve Hentz says it’s going to get dangerously hot after thunderstorms move through the area on Thursday night.

“We’re looking for heat indices of 100 to 109 degrees for Friday and Saturday.”

That extreme heat and humidity could be hazardous for people who aren’t ready for it, says Hentz. “You could get some heat related illnesses, problems if you’re out in the heat, or if you’re in a house without air conditioning or proper ventilation.”

Hentz reminds people to stay in the shade, make sure you’re able to get to air conditioning when you can, and to keep yourself hydrated as you go about your day.

You should also be sure to check on elderly friends and relatives to make sure they’re doing okay, and remember to never leave a pet or anyone else inside a car in the heat.

Three weak twisters hit southern Wisconsin on Tuesday

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Three weak tornadoes touched down in southern Wisconsin as storms passed through the area on Tuesday.

A pair of tornadoes touched down in Lafayette County, while a third touched down in Grant County. National Weather Service Meteorologist Denny Van Cleve says all of them touched down in rural areas.

“We had some crop damage, and some branches down, and there was some damage to a shed as well.”

Crews are still out in the field assessing damage, says Van Cleve. “We’re still getting details with how long the path width and length were, but typical to some of the tornadoes we see around southern Wisconsin they don’t last too long and they’re not too strong.”

All three tornadoes have been ranked as EF-0 with maximum winds of 80 miles per hour.

No injuries were reported

‘Storm chasers’ looking to make a quick buck off home repairs

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Wisconsin residents are being reminded to be on the look out for scam artists posing as contractors in the wake of this month’s severe weather.

Often called ‘storm chasers’, these crooks will try to sell you expensive repair work for cash up front, and then leave without doing a proper job.

State consumer protection director Michelle Reinen says you need to resist high pressure sales tactics. “Ask questions and get things in writing, and know what you should be paying on the up front and through the different stages of any work.”

Any legitimate contractor will sign contracts, show you permits, give you more information, and be willing to take payments rather than simply cash.

The crooks will also use other methods to steal from you, and Reinen says one common tactic is to ask to get into your home to get a drink or to use a bathroom while they’re on site. “We don’t want consumers letting individuals into their home unannounced, unwelcome, just because they knocked on the door.”

That can often be an excuse to steal from you, take prescription drugs from your home, or leave your house vulnerable to burglary.

Reinen says if you do need work done on your home, you should find someone local to do it. “We really want consumers to seek out a trusted contractor using references from neighbors, friends, family, even your local home builders association or insurance company.”

If you think you’re being scammed, call local law enforcement.

‘Heat Awareness Day’ in Wisconsin

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Many people look forward to warmer temperatures during the summer months in Wisconsin. But it’s also important to remember that hot conditions can turn dangerous quickly.

In the last five years, 39 people have died in Wisconsin,and thousands of residents have fallen ill or been hospitalized due to heat-related conditions. Nationwide there are an average of 618 deaths in the U.S. each year caused by extreme heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Many victims of heat-related deaths are socially isolated, maintaining little contact with family and friends. “It’s important to check in on those who are at greatest risk” said Andrew Beckett with Wisconsin Emergency Management and ReadyWisconsin.


Those most vulnerable include very young children, the elderly, and people with heart disease or high blood pressure. Individuals who are overweight or on certain medications may also be more susceptible to illnesses during extreme heat events.

June 6th is “Heat Awareness Day” in Wisconsin.

‘SS Badger’ dock repairs underway

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Recovery efforts are underway for the SS Badger Car ferry dock in Manitowoc after it was badly damaged by Lake Michigan waters over the weekend.

Jason Ring is Executive Director of the Manitowoc Visitors and Convention Bureau. “We calculate the economic impact of what visitors spend that come off the car ferry. And the impact of that is around $14 million….pretty significant.”

The car ferry also adds or impacts a total of 700 jobs. Ring says if no setbacks occur, it is believed that they won’t have any lost time.

“The goal is to keep the car ferry sailing season on pace for the May 11th start of the season.” Ring likens the ferry dock damage to what it would be like for another community when a major highway into town is shut down.

WTAQ

 

Avian experts ask for help to save migratory birds

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Wildlife experts are asking for your help in saving migratory birds that have been snowed out of their usual food sources.

Last weekend’s blizzard blanketed parts of Wisconsin with over two feet of snow, and that’s making it very hard for birds migrating back to the area. Raptor Education Group executive director Marge Gibson says her agency has been extremely busy this week. “I took over fifty phone calls, texts and Facebook messages. Most were about weak and dying warblers, robins and woodcocks.”

Gibson says this weather is especially hard on birds that usually rely on digging insects out of the ground for their food. “They are unable to find enough enough ground or find any ground to be able to dig or have access to insects, And not having any food, of course, they’re starving.” Gibson says that residents can help out by digging out section of lawn and grass that birds can access to dig up and eat hibernating bugs.

She also adds that generally keeping feeders stocked right now is a great help to feathered friends. “Keep your feeders full. A lot of the insectivores don’t eat seed so you’re going to have mealworms and dried fruit, cut up fruit, berries, those sorts of things that will help them get over this very difficult period.”

Gibson is asking cat owners to keep their pets indoors for a few days. “The birds are really fragile right now, many of them are weak and they’re on the ground and they’re really targets for a cat who’s outside even briefly, so be very aware of that.”

if you do find a bird on the ground and you’re able to walk over and pick it up, that bird is in distress and needs help. “Put it in a cardboard box, not a cage or a carrier. Put a towel in the bottom of the box and bring them into a warm area. Put a heating pad on low under part of the box. Cover the box to create an “incubator” of sorts.” Gibson says that you should make sure that the bird has food. Dried or live mealworms or waxworms are a good bet, and you can find those almost anywhere live fishing bait is sold.

Once that bird is safe and warming up, make sure you call a local avian rescue group. Most are very willing to come pick up your bird and take it to a more appropriate shelter.

Heavy snows help end dry spell for parts of Wisconsin

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There’s an upside to all that snow parts of Wisconsin saw over the weekend: an end to dry conditions in the state.

National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Halbach says that the heavy wet snow that blanketed central and eastern Wisconsin is going to help quench the soil and put a cap on an abnormally dry winter. “I’m sure everyone who was out shoveling that snow this weekend knows that it was a very high liquid content type snow.”

Parts of the state we seeing abnormally dry conditions this winter, and Halbach says a late season snowfall is just what the state needed, even if it came exceptionally late. “Just having the precipitation this time of year is always a good thing. You want to get a little bit of moisture in the ground before the plants go in.”

Even better news for farmers and gardeners is that most of the moisture in that snow is going to stay put. Halbach says temperatures are expected to be mild over the next week or so. “So it’s a nice gradual melting of the snow that’s out there, rather than getting one big heavy rainfall and and then it’s all melting and heading into the rivers right away.”

Some more snow is expected to fall Wednesday across parts of Wisconsin, with milder spring temperatures expected for the next week after that.

Utilities remind residents to clear the snow from furnace vents

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With record setting snowfalls across Wisconsin, utilities are reminding residents to go clear out the vents on their furnaces.

We Energies spokeswoman Cathy Schulze says blocked furnaces can be dangerous. “That can be a risk of carbon monoxide build up inside the home, if your furnace is not able to vent fully.”

You’ll also want to clear out a space around your gas meter to allow it to vent, and so utility workers can get access to it in case of emergency. Schulz says you should take it easy and be gentle. “That is equipment that can be damaged, and we do get reports of people running it with their snowblowers forgetting it’s there, hitting it with their shovels too hard.”

As snow starts to thaw, be sure to keep the area over the meter clear of ice, says Schulz. “You want to look up when you’re clearing that gas meter as well to make sure there aren’t icicles forming above it. Those icicles can fall and damage the gas meter as well.” Iced over meters can be just as hazardous and snowed in meters.

You can find out more online at http://weenergies.blogspot.com/2015/11/keep-natural-gas-meters-vents-clear-of.html

Green Bay region gets historic snowfall

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Although road crews in Brown County have been working hard to clear the way for today’s commute, they’re advising drivers to stay off the roads if possible.

With gusting winds and blowing snow through the weekend Paul Fontecchio, Brown County Director of Public Works, tells FOX 11 crews will be working today and even into Tuesday.

“The crews work 12 hours on 12 hours off. But even with this wind and this type of storm intensity, there is no way to keep up.”

Green Bay resident Nicole Marchand was out and about Sunday.

She said she had no choice but to drive despite the dangerous road conditions because of work. “I’ve lived in Green Bay for 25 years now and don’t remember getting this much snow this quick and with the wind totally disabling an area.”

Fontecchio said the department will not be treating the roads with sand or salt until they finish plowing and they hope to have that started by Tuesday.

The weekend blizzard also affected travel heading out of the Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport. All flights heading out Sunday were either canceled or delayed.

WTAQ