By Kim McDarison 

Storms moving through Jefferson and Walworth counties Friday night caused damage to several trees throughout the region, bringing damage to the We Energies power grid, both the National Weather Service and We Energies have been reporting since late Friday night.

For approximately 70,000 customers within the extended Milwaukee region, including Jefferson and Walworth counties, trouble began around 10:30 p.m. on Friday.

On Saturday, the Nation Weather Service, operating from Milwaukee/Sullivan, reported that damage received to the area was not created by tornados, but instead was the result of widespread wind between 60 and 70 miles per hour, with some areas seeing wind speeds up to 80 miles per hour.

“One thing that was unique about last night is how long the winds lasted,” the service reported on its Facebook page, noting that in some cases the extreme winds were sustained for 10 minutes or longer.

“This likely accounts for the amount of widespread tree damage — especially in places like Fort Atkinson.” the service noted on Facebook.

“Trees are often able to handle short bursts of 60 or 70 mile-per-hour winds, but long duration winds like last night put enormous force on the trees, and over such a long period of time many will fall or otherwise be damaged,” the report continued.

The service reported that it was unaware of any injuries resulting from the storm. 

Reports on Facebook from within the community also reported strong winds, damage to trees and power outages.

On his Facebook page, Fort Atkinson Online freelance reporter Ryan Whisner noted that his power was off, and his phone was likewise losing its power.

He reported that at his home, branches were down, but there was no damage to his house.

Numerous people took to the community’s Facebook group pages making similar reports.

We Energies, too, reported through its webpage, interactive outages map, and media outlets that by Saturday morning, the storm had caused outages for more than 58,000 Wisconsin customers, with more than 11,000 of them residing in Jefferson County.

By Saturday afternoon, the utility reported, power restorations were underway, with just over 37,000 customers in southeastern Wisconsin, with approximately 8,700 of those customers residing in Jefferson County, remaining without power. Walworth County was reported to have about 2,800 customers without power at that time.

As of Sunday, the company continues to report on its website that “Severe storms have caused widespread outages in southeastern Wisconsin. We are encountering extensive damage including downed trees and damaged power equipment. We expect 95% of customers who lost power will have their power restored by midnight tonight. The remaining customers will have their outage restored Monday. All available We Energies crews, including specialized forestry workers and extra contract crews, will continue to work around the clock to make repairs and restore power to customers affected by these severe storms. Customers can see their expected restoration time on the outage map. Customers can sign up for outage alerts to receive updates as crews restore specific outages.”

In Whitewater, on Saturday morning, power was out across the community’s downtown. Around 11:00 a.m., the traffic light at the intersection of Main and Janesville street was not operational, although the light was restored right around noon.

Also on Saturday, a We Energies crew was busy at work adjacent to the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library on Center street.

A foreman told Fort Atkinson Online that the crew had been dispatched to repair a power line that had been damaged by a tree. As the crew completed its work, the foreman said that the restored line would likely return power to at least 1,000 Whitewater customers.

Reporting on the city’s Facebook page, Whitewater city officials told residents that many municipal buildings were without power Saturday.

Whitewater Arts Alliance manager Ashe McDarison arrived at the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center, in the city’s downtown, around 11:30 a.m. to discover the building without power. She, like many establishments in Fort Atkinson and Whitewater, placed signage alerting patrons of the day’s temporary closure.

By Saturday afternoon, city officials reported on their Facebook page that the city’s municipal building’s power had been restored.

In Fort Atkinson, Fort Atkinson Online freelance reporter Chris Spangler noted that downed trees and branches littered Fort Atkinson after Friday’s severe thunderstorm.

Reports on a community Facebook page noted that residents heard the city’s warning sirens sound twice Friday night.

It appeared that no street was exempt from damage to trees, Spangler observed Saturday as she made her way through the city.

Additionally, she noted that the high winds wreaked havoc at Evergreen Cemetery on the city’s north side.

Numerous large trees, particular those toward the eastern end of the cemetery, sustained damage, closing off entrances. The tops of some appeared to have been sheared off by the straight-line winds, she reported.

Trees in several parks also were damaged, including several in Jones Park, a couple in Barrie Park and a few near the Wisconservation Club in Rock River Park. High winds blew over a pole holding a weather siren.

Trees along Riverside Drive/State Highway 106 sustained damage, as did those along Rankin and Van Buren streets. The 200 block of South High Street, Hillcrest Drive, Adams Street also were among those with branches and trees down. Felled trees brought down utility wires, including one in the alley between the 600 block of Monroe and Robert streets.

The power outage closed Festival Foods, which also was expected to be closed Sunday. On Saturday, employees were busy tossing dairy and refrigerated food, as well as some frozen items and produce, into dumpsters, Spangler reported. 

The city’s compost site will be open Sunday, from 6 a.m. to dark, to accept brush from the storm.

Social media was helping keep residents informed about what was happening, with residents posting damage reports, power outages and sharing contact information for those looking for help with cleanup. Neighbors were helping neighbors pick up branches and good Samaritans were seen driving around town offering their help gratis.

Photos from both communities — Fort Atkinson and Whitewater — showing storm aftermath on Saturday, follow.