Storms barreling across the heart of the United States continued to pose tornado risks Thursday after causing at least one death when a man apparently was struck by lightning in Wisconsin.
Police in Waukesha, , said the 鈥渁rea was experiencing heavy rainfall accompanied by significant thunder and lightning鈥� when someone reported seeing the man on the ground Wednesday evening.
鈥淧reliminary information indicates the individual was struck by lightning while walking through the parking lot during the storm,鈥� police said.
A weather pattern combining very moist air with a strong jet stream has been stretching from as far south as central Texas into the Midwest and east across the Great Lakes. From Monday through Wednesday, the National Weather Service has received more than 1,100 reports of large hail, winds above 60 mph (96 kph) and tornadoes as part of the storm system, said Bill Bunting, a meteorologist with the weather service鈥檚 Storm Prediction Center.
The storms have for the better part of this week and could continue into the early weekend.
鈥淭here’s been a tremendous amount of lightning with these storms over the last few days,鈥� said Mark Gehring, a meteorologist with the weather service in Milwaukee.
鈥淲e’ve had the temperature and humidity of summer and it’s lasting an entire week 鈥� in mid-April,鈥� he added. 鈥淚n addition to a very stormy pattern, nearly every day we’re having heavy rain. We’ve had tornadoes nearly every day, very large hail.鈥�
Five tornadoes have been confirmed across southern and parts of central Wisconsin, according to Gehring.
鈥淏ut there are more out there. We are going out to do storm surveys,鈥� he said Thursday, adding that storms expected Friday evening could be severe.
In addition to lightning, hail and tornadoes, the storms have brought rain 鈥� lots of it, with scores of flood warnings and flood watches issued by the weather service over multiple states.
Crews were hurriedly from a dam in Cheboygan, Michigan, this week, even removing floodgates to relieve pressure. Residents and businesses in the city were told Monday to prepare a 鈥済o bag鈥� containing medications, documents and other important items, monitor official updates and 鈥渂e ready to act” because of the threat of flooding.
In northern Michigan, Bellaire, population 1,000, said Thursday that its wastewater treatment system was being overwhelmed, forcing the release of partially treated waste into area swamps. The village urged residents to reduce home water use.
Carl Johnson, 59, has a home on the rapidly rising Muskegon River in western Michigan. He went on Facebook to tell people that his boats are ready if someone needs help.
鈥淚t鈥檚 out of the banks everywhere. It鈥檚 really bad,鈥� he told The Associated Press. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not supposed to crest until Saturday.鈥�
The Wisconsin River is at major flood stage in Portage, Wisconsin, and is forecast to reach or surpass the 20.7-foot (6.3-meter) record sometime Friday morning, meteorologist Gehring said.
鈥淩ight now, it’s at 19.9 feet (6 meters), not that far off,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n Portage, there’s a large area of low-land flooding. Many roads are flooded. There’s a levee there. It’s important that the levee holds.鈥�
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency earlier this week.
Cars were stranded Wednesday night in high floodwater on a highway in Milwaukee and the Milwaukee County Sheriff鈥檚 Office posted online to urge people not to drive in southeast Wisconsin.
But at least in Wisconsin, a respite could be near.
鈥淲e have one more severe, heavy rain event coming this way before we get a good break,鈥� Gehring said. 鈥淭hat’s going to be on Friday evening. That’s going to be the last gasp of severe rain.鈥�
There also will be a threat of more tornadoes, downpours and flooding.
鈥淚t just keeps coming, but that will be the last one,鈥� Gehring said.
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Williams reported from West Bloomfield, Michigan. White reported from Detroit.
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