A strong line of storms that swept across west central and northeastern Wisconsin Wednesday claimed the life of a motorist in Menominee County, while also knocking out power to thousands of customers and destroying at least one home.
Wisconsin Emergency Management officials say the woman was killed in Keshena when a tree fell on top of her car. The name of the victim has not yet been released.
In Marathon County, a lightning strike is the suspected cause of a fire that destroyed a duplex on Wausau’s east side. No one was injured in the blaze, but at least three people are now homeless.
A lightning strike at a nursing home in Shawano County also started a fire, which forced the evacuation of about 13 residents. No injuries were reported and the residents were taken to a sister facility. Several homes were also damaged by the storm and the National Weather Service is investigating if there was a tornado touchdown in the area.
WEM says there were reports of downed trees and power lines across the region. Crews have restored power to most customers, although about 1,000 were still without service as of this morning. Officials expect power to be fully restored by the end of the day.