1 injured after tornado touches down in western Wisconsin; 25 to 30 buildings damaged

ELLSWORTH — An emergency official says one person was injured when a tornado touched down in western Wisconsin, damaging 25 to 30 homes and farm buildings.

Gary Brown, emergency manager for Pierce County, says the person was in a barn when the storm hit and part of the building collapsed. The person was taken to a local hospital but no condition was available.

The tornado struck about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in an area between Ellsworth and Spring Valley, Wisconsin, which are about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Minneapolis.

Brown says he saw several houses that had very significant damage.

Meteorologist Todd Krause at the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota, says after morning storms moved on, there was enough afternoon sunshine to heat up the atmosphere and trigger the tornado.

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