Storm damage in Kenosha County; residents cleaning up

KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. - Strong storms pushed through southeast Wisconsin on Thursday night, April 2, toppling power lines, downing trees and causing damage to homes.

Storm damage

What we know:

Strong winds left quite the impact on homes, such as the Chery-Russel's home in Kenosha.

The strong force of the wind knocked over the tree and hit the trampoline.

The family tells FOX6 they believe the trampoline is what saved their home from getting hit and damaged.

Denise Chery-Russel says they feel lucky that they only got exterior damage left from the storm.

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"All of a sudden, we just felt the house rattle pressures change. The house was rattling. At first, we didn’t know what it was," said Denise Chery-Russel. "You can’t get out from the front door. You can’t get anything it’s that tree came out. The branches are what hit my car. "Trees can be cut down, trampolines can be replaced, but what can’t be replaced is safety."

The family said no one was hurt, but they are looking forward to getting this cleaned up right now.

Curbside pickup for debris

What we know:

The City of Kenosha says public works and parks crews will survey affected areas in the coming days.

Residents are encouraged to place branches and debris neatly at the curb, ensuring materials do not block sidewalks, roadways or storm drains.

Crews will collect items as scheduling allows.

Non-brush debris should be placed separately. Crews will also survey affected areas and crews will separately collect non-brush debris early next week.

For more information, call 262-653-4050.

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Report a power outage

What you can do:

We Energies encourages anyone who experiences a power outage to report it as soon as it occurs in one of three ways: online, through the app or by calling 1-800-662-4797.

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We Energies says it is expecting to get most of the power outages in Kenosha restored throughout the day.

We Energies safety tips

What you can do:

For tips on what to do before, during or after a power outage, visit the We Energies website. Some safety tips include:

• Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and assume they are energized.
• Use flashlights, not candles
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible
• Check on neighbors and relatives, especially seniors or anyone with medical conditions

Friday's weather

What's next:

An upper-level trough and strengthening low-level jet will support scattered showers and a few strong to severe thunderstorms late Friday into early Saturday, with hail as the primary hazard. Recent rainfall increases the risk for localized ponding, particularly in areas that have already seen higher totals.

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