Storm damage in southeastern Wisconsin; thousands without power
Milwaukee County storm damage
Severe storms moved through southeastern Wisconsin on Tuesday, Aug. 18, causing damage throughout the area.
MILWAUKEE - Severe storms swept through southeastern Wisconsin on Tuesday, Aug. 18, leaving a trail of damage across the area.
The We Energies outage map on Wednesday morning showed more than 26,000 customers were without power after thunderstorms rolled across the area Tuesday.
Storm damage
What we know:
FOX6 News spoke with a Milwaukee man whose girlfriend's car was crushed by a fallen tree near Girard and Appleton.
Girard and Appleton, Milwaukee
FOX6 viewer Meysha B. shared video from the area of 97th and Metcalf in Milwaukee as a severe storm hit southeast Wisconsin Tuesday night. This viewer almost had a tree branch fall on her car.
Photo gallery
FOX6 crews located downed trees and widespread damage throughout Milwaukee County.
Report downed trees, branches
What you can do:
The Milwaukee DPW said their Forestry crews have received 376 calls since Tuesday and continue working through them, prioritizing critical calls first, including trees blocking entire streets.
DPW encourages residents to report downed trees or branches at Milwaukee.gov/click4action, through the MKE Mobile App, or by calling 414-286-CITY (2489).
Alderman Lamont Westmoreland
What they're saying:
Milwaukee Alderman Lamont Westmoreland posted a picture of storm damage to Facebook. Adlerman Westmoreland later clarified that the car wasn't actually crushed by a tree.
"This image was created to grab people’s attention, remind residents to report downed or damaged trees, and make sure they know how to report them to the City," said Alderman Westmoreland.
Severe weather warning at Brewers game
What we know:
A FOX6 News employee at American Family Field reported that the public address announcer issued a weather alert as rain passed over the closed-roof ballpark, while a tornado warning message flashed on the scoreboard.
Fire in Slinger
What we know:
Around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, the Slinger Fire Department and Lifestar Emergency Medical Services responded to a reported roof fire at the Slinger Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Upon arrival, a working fire was visible through a roof hatch on the building.
A preliminary investigation shows the fire started in the interior attic space and was largely confined to the attic, with additional damage to some electrical components.
Officials initially suspected a lightning strike, but the official cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Slinger Wastewater Treatment Plant fire (Courtesy: Slinger Fire Department)
No firefighters were injured, and no employees were onsite during the fire, which caused an estimated $250,000 in damage.
Editor's note: This post was updated with additional information from the Slinger Fire Department.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by FOX6 crews on the scene of storm damage, We Energies, the Slinger Fire Department, Milwaukee DPW, and Alderman Lamont Westmoreland.