Tornados Seen in Southwest Wisconsin

Strong storms passed through Southwest Wisconsin Saturday including tornado sightings near Lancaster. Crews from the Bloomington and Lancaster Fire Departments are conducting damage assessment in rural areas after numerous funnel clouds were spotted Saturday afternoon. At 3:11 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for Grant County based upon radar rotation as well as numerous spotter reports of a funnel cloud and possible touchdowns west and northwest of Lancaster. According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, a storm cell crept slowly in a northwesterly direction at 5-10 m.p.h. prompting several additional warnings through about 4:30 p.m. when the National Weather Service determined that the storm had weakened and no longer posed a significant threat. Warning sirens were activated in Lancaster, Bloomington, Mount Hope, Fennimore and Stitzer during the storm. Grant county’s Emergency Management agency reported receiving multiple reports from storm spotters of a funnel cloud that was touching down west and northwest of Lancaster. Some roads were flooded near the Illinois state line.