Storms, gusting winds down tree limbs, cause damage in Racine County
Severe weather raced through parts of southeast Wisconsin on Wednesday, July 26. The wicked weather left behind a path of destruction in some neighborhoods.
In Racine, residents at an apartment building cannot go back into their building. Racine fire officials say there was a partial roof collapse from the heavy rain. Nobody was hurt – and everyone evacuated from the building safely.
Partial roof collapse due to heavy rain, Racine
"They cleared the water from the top, apparently it was a lot I didn't think it was that bad, I didn't think the rain was that bad, it was storming," said Miles Derosir, apartment building resident.
"It was bad you could see damage to the roof, the neighbors next door, their fence, their driveway, our house a little bit of damage to the gutter, I couldn’t believe how centralized it was just to one house though," said Lisa Baker, apartment building resident.
Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, parts of the Racine Reefpoint Marina were damaged by the severe winds. Marina officials say 40 to 60 boats were connected to one of the docks – and broke free. Officials say the affected docks include the entire east side – but all docks and boats have been secured.
Storm damage at Racine's Reefpoint Marina
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The strength of Wednesdays storms was also demonstrated by the video shared from Union Grove (above). Heavy rain and gusting winds snapped tree limbs at one viewer's residence.
Lastly, FOX6 News viewer Jeremy Oman shared video of damage near Kearney Avenue.
In the wake of the storms, the FOX6 Weather Experts say we can expect to see the temperatures rise the next day or two.
Friday, Racine Mayor Cory Mason's office issued the following statement:
Per Chief Building Inspector and Chief Hansen/Chief Wolf: the building's structural engineer made recommendations to the building owner to correct the issue with the roof. The building owner contracted with a contractor to start work on it. They are now responsible for making the changes. The area in front of the building on 3rd street will remain closed and residents will not be able to return to their dwellings until the building is taken care of. Neighboring businesses should be able to reopen.
Editor's note: The statement was provided two days after the story was originally posted and aired on FOX6 News.
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SCHOOL AND BUSINESS CLOSINGS
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
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