Confirmed: National Weather Service says two tornadoes caused damage in Platteville
PLATTEVILLE (WITI) -- The preliminary damage survey from the National Weather Service indicates two tornadoes struck the city of Platteville as a powerful line of storms rolled across southern Wisconsin during the late evening and early morning hours of June 16-17.
Platteville Tornado #1: Tornadic damage was identified on the UW-Platteville campus. Preliminary information indicates a "low-end" EF2 tornado with 120 mph max wind speed. The track was about two miles west of Platteville, running through the UW-Platteville campus, to two miles southeast of Platteville ending right before U.S. Highway 151. The EF2 damage occurred near the Engineering buildings on the UW-Platteville campus.
Platteville Tornado #2: Tornadic damage was identified near the Platteville Golf and Country Club. Preliminary information indicates a "high-end" EF1 tornado with 105 mph max wind speed. The track was about 1/2 mile long with a 50 yard width. Damage includes some trees knocked down and a roof off an apartment.
We're told at least five buildings were damaged on the UW-Platteville campus.
Due to the extensive storm damage, the campus is closed Tuesday, June 17th.
Campus officials say this is a level three closure -- meaning classes are cancelled, the institution is closed to the public, and only essential employees are to report.
No major injuries were reported on campus.
The southwest side of campus sustained damage during the storm.
Buildings impacted included Rountree Commons, Bridgeway Commons, Southwest Hall, Engineering Hall and Pioneer Stadium. Damage included some broken windows and some possible structural damage.
According to the Wisconsin Emergency Operations Center, five people in Platteville were injured by flying glass when the storm blew out windows in homes around the area.
One victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Mitchell Ivanov's home was one of those damaged by the storms.
"This is my house without its roof and all of the windows," Ivanov said.
Ivanov says he, his wife, and their four kids didn't really see the storms coming.
"There were no sirens. There was no warning. I was watching the lightning through the window and I saw something ugly," Ivanov said.
Ivanov says he and his family didn't even have time to run to shelter.
"Me and my wife were on our bed and I heard it coming. It sounded like a freight train -- so I threw a blanket over us and when the glass stopped falling we hopped out of the bed, went upstairs, grabbed the kids, got them down into the basement," Ivanov said.
On Tuesday afternoon, there was the sound of chainsaws on Ivanov's street.
Debris was everywhere.
The damage was bad enough that Gov. Scott Walker stopped by to see it for himself.
"The duplex just at the end of the side of the house behind me, that`s completely gone -- flattened entirely. That`s where at least one of the individuals who was severely hurt was at. The rest of the folks here -- bumps and bruises. A lot of folks more than anything now are just trying to figure out what`s next," Gov. Walker said.
That includes Ivanov and his family. They're working to figure out where they are going to stay for the immediate future.
"I could care less about the house and anything in it as long as my family`s safe and not hurt. I can get another house. I can buy a new guitar. I can get another bow .I can`t get another wife. I can`t get more kids," Ivanov said.
Gov. Walker says it's too early to even start walking about whether a federal disaster can be declared in the Platteville area.
At the state level, Gov. Walker says on Tuesday, they were trying to get a feel for how many homes are now uninhabitable and cases in which the homeowners didn't have insurance.
Crews continue to survey damage in Platteville.