PHOTOS: Pop-up storms cause damage in east metro, western Wisconsin

Strong storms cause damage in north metro, western Wisconsin ahead of intense heat

Trees were blown down, and a roof was blown off an apartment building in North Hudson.

Crews are working hard to restore power to thousands of people Tuesday as extremely hot temperatures move into Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Power outages continued early Tuesday morning, with more than 2,500 customers reported without electricity as of 8:45 a.m. There were more than 200 outages reported across the metro and western Wisconsin. CLICK HERE for the outage map.

The company reported there were 4,000 customers without power Monday night.

Strong storms caused trees to fall and a roof to blow off an apartment building in Hudson, Wisc. on Monday. Trees could be seen on the ground in Vadnais Heights early Tuesday morning.

“You couldn’t really see anything; it was all white and the rain was going just straight across. And then, I just shut the door and I said we should probably get in the bathroom,” said Bill Schifsky, who lives in Vadnais Heights.

Hail was also discussed in storm reports in addition to the downpours – some were the size of golf balls, according to reports made in Hudson and Hampton. There was also dime sized hail reported in Clearwater, however some was also the size of quarters.

The hot temperatures are on the edge of a heat dome out of the American Southwest, where doctors say the ongoing extreme heat is taking a toll.

“We have seen such a huge spike of people with contact burns. Most people don’t realize that the pavement, concrete, sidewalks, rocks… the temperatures of those surfaces can reach 1700-18 degrees, which is just a little bit below the temperatures of boiling water. So, it only takes a fraction of a second to get a really bad burn,” said Dr. Kevin Foster, Director of the Arizona Burn Center.

Phoenix is expected to see its 26th straight day of 110 degrees – or hotter – on Tuesday. The city hasn’t been below 90 degrees in more than two weeks.

Make sure to download the free KSTP mobile app for the latest weather alerts, radar and updated forecasts. CLICK HERE to learn more about the app.

A previous version of this report can be found below.


Storms batter western Wisconsin

Storms batter western Wisconsin

INITIAL REPORT 7/24/23 – A brief outburst of storms Monday afternoon uprooted trees and caused some damage across parts of the east Twin Cities metro and western Wisconsin.

Scenes captured by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS and sent in by viewers showed uprooted trees in White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights and western Wisconsin.

Pouring rain and strong winds made their way to North Hudson before Brant Wesolek could get inside his house.

“It was intense. I was soaking wet and I was under like 7 feet of patio,” Wesolek said.

He ran to get his umbrella off his patio before the storm hit, but he was forced to take cover on his neighbor’s porch for safety.

“Within about two minutes, large branches started coming off of the black walnut [tree] and for a moment I thought I was going to die,” Wesolek said.

High winds, hail and heavy rain ripped through the area. The storm left behind snapped branches and a trail of debris through the neighborhood. People spent hours trying to clean up what Mother Nature left behind.

“A lot of cleanup, my neighbors and I have been chainsawing for the last two hours,” Wesolek said.

About 20,000 people in the east metro and Western Wisconsin lost power on Monday after the severe storms. Xcel Energy said at least 100 crew members were on the ground trying to get the lights back on.

As of 10 p.m., more than 4,000 customers remained without power, according to Xcel.

While some are worried about power, others are finding somewhere else to live.

“I looked out the window and I saw a bunch of wind and my husband came running and said, ‘We need to go downstairs right now,’” said Skylar, a North Hudson resident.

Skylar and her family live on the ground floor of what used to be their apartment building.

“When we left the apartment, we heard a really loud bang, which I’m assuming was the roof,” she said.

The storm ripped off the roof, sending residents running for cover. No one was hurt.

“I’m absolutely grateful. There was definitely someone watching over all of us,” Skylar said.

See some of the images captured by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS viewers below and send in your pictures here.

See the latest weather forecast and radar here.