A middle-of-the-night tornado warning sent Milwaukee-area residents scrambling for basements early Tuesday as a fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms barreled across southeast Wisconsin, triggering sirens, phone alerts and some very abrupt wake-up calls.
The National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan issued the tornado warning at 1:38 a.m. CDT, saying a storm capable of producing a tornado was located near Cedarburg and moving east at about 45 mph. The warning was allowed to expire shortly after 2 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters cautioned about “flying debris” and the possibility that mobile homes and roofs could be destroyed.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch and Fast Line
Beyond the tornado threat, a broader line of severe thunderstorms fired off multiple severe thunderstorm warnings across Milwaukee, Racine, Waukesha and neighboring counties. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch stayed in effect for much of southeast Wisconsin until 4 a.m., according to WTMJ. Radar and forecast products showed the squall racing east at roughly 50 mph, with gusts to 60 mph possible, the warnings said.
Where the Storms Tracked and the Risks…