Wisconsin storms cause power outages for thousands, leave damage
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Thousands of people in southeast Wisconsin lost power as strong winds brought trees and branches down during Tuesday night's storms.
In Waukesha, Tom Furman said multiple trees came down in his backyard, and his whole block lost power.
"That’s been a big tree out there for the 30 years I’ve been here, and it finally decided to let go," he said. "There was a big old snap in the woods – you could hear it from inside the house."
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A snap and then darkness. Furman said the power went out just after 11 p.m.
"We are seeing what we normally see during a high wind event: trees down, tree branches, and even some of those high debris flying up and coming into contact with our equipment," said We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway.
Southeast WI storm pictures; crews, homeowners assess damage from winds
Public works crews and homeowners throughout southeast Wisconsin are waking to first light on Wednesday, May 22 to find out what damage may have been caused by strong winds and heavy rain.
Conway said crews have restored power for more than 35,000 people. He said Waukesha County and the Fox Valley were the hardest hit areas of the state, but damage could be seen all over the region.
In West Allis and Milwaukee, fallen trees damaged several cars. Although storm damage isn't something you can control, We Energies said it is something you can be prepared for.
"We always encourage people, especially this time of year when it’s a more active storm season, to be prepared to see power out in case Mother Nature brings her worst," Conway said.
We Energies anticipates power to be restored for almost everyone by the end of Wednesday. Any remaining customers should have it back on Thursday.
We Energies
Report outages
If your power is out, you should avoid any downed wires. We Energies officials say you should stay 25 feet away from them and report any downed wire to We Energies or law enforcement immediately.
As for any outage, the best thing you can do is contact We Energies at 800-662-4797 to report your outage. You can also report an outage via the We Energies app:
We Energies will then send you updates as your outage is resolved.
Emergency kit
Now is a good time to assemble an emergency kit. We Energies advises having flashlights with batteries, blankets, bottle water and a portable charger to use for your phone in case you lose power. The utility provider has additional resources on its website: