Watertown storm damage; family home in ruins
WATERTOWN, Wis. - Down trees and destroyed homes, all disastrous sights from Saturday night’s storm blowing through parts of the state.
One tornado ripped through the home of an 80-year-old in Watertown on Saturday, June 22.
At 80-years-old, Herb Zinser never thought he’d be facing this kind of an uphill battle.
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"There’s shattered glass all over the place so don’t touch too much stuff," Zinser said.
Since the 1950s, this has been the house his family called home. But now …
"They told me this house is more or less totally damaged," Ziner said.
SE Wisconsin tornadoes confirmed; 105 mph wind speeds
Personnel from the National Weather Service (NWS) spent Sunday, June 23 surveying severe weather damage in Wisconsin from the night before.
It was damaged from an EF-1 tornado that hit Watertown on Saturday. The storm blew out his windows and tore the roof off his home.
"This is the one I was standing at when I got all these cuts," he said.
Cuts on the hands and face while trying to close his windows, before running to the basement.
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Now staying with neighbors, he’s salvaging what he can and still has time to find the humor.
"If I do find a girlfriend I’ll stay at her place," he said.
Neighbors like Jennifer Konkle strapped on boots and gloves Sunday to help the man they’ve known for years.
"It was heartbreaking," Konkle said. "Neighbors around here are family, and you help when you can."