This is an A.I. generated image of a Downburst approved by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
MILWAUKEE - Independence Day weekend is a time when people sit back, relax, and celebrate the birth of the American nation, but this was a different story for some areas as severe storms rolled through.
July is known for hot and humid weather in Wisconsin, which can help fuel summer storms.
Impacts of this downburst
What we know:
On Friday, July 3, at 12:06 p.m., severe-warned storms moved through Walworth County. The storm had rapidly descending cold air, intense rainfall, and strong winds accelerating towards the surface.
It then rapidly spread out over land and lakes, creating estimated peak winds of 90 to 100 miles per hour. This is called a downburst.
The impacts of this downburst covered a large area from just south of Darien through Lake Delavan to Como and Geneva Lake.
About 5 to 10 barns were destroyed and/or heavily damaged, with hundreds of trees that were snapped at the trunk or uprooted.
Two injuries were reported south-west of Delavan Lake when three empty silos collapsed and fell on motorcyclists that were seeking shelter from the storm.
Three children drowned from a capsized boat on Geneva Lake from the winds associated with this storm.
Not considered a tornado. Why?
Dig deeper:
Despite the extensive damage, this was not considered a tornado. Why?
Yes, a tornado has very strong winds, but the winds rotate while winds in a downburst do not.
Based on the National Weather Service surveying the damage, they can analyze things such as the orientation trees fell to determine the direction the winds were blowing.
They also go back and analyze radar data to see if there was any rotation and debris lofted in the air at the time the storm hit.
The Source: Information in this story is from the National Weather Service and the FOX6 Weather Experts.