CITY OF MAYVILLE, Wis. — Significant damage was reported in Mayville, especially on Clark Street, where businesses were hit hard and numerous trees were downed after a likely tornado tore through the city.
Daylight Friday revealed the extent of the destruction, with the storm hitting the south side of the city the hardest.
Some of the worst damage was at Gleason Reel Corporation. Across the street, Mayville Engineering Company (MEC) was also damaged by the storm.
Mayville Mayor Rob Boelk, who declared a state of emergency early Friday morning, said employees from MEC were temporarily housed at fitness facilities. An MEC spokesperson said while the full extent of the damage is still being assessed and cleanup is underway, the company does not expect any material impact on operations.
The spokesperson said the company is working with local responders and supporting its team during recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, many residents remain without power. We Energies reported about 1,000 customers without service in the area and nearly 15,000 affected statewide as of 5 a.m. Friday.
The mayor said that power restoration has begun and cautioned residents to avoid live wires.
“Don’t be touching any power, because a lot of times, people don’t realize—people who have generators—sometimes you can trip your breaker and it’s being back-fed,” Boelk emphasized. “So just be safe out there as we go forward.”
Watch: Mayville mayor provides update on aftermath of likely tornado
Residents who spoke with TMJ4 described feeling their homes lift and windows blow out.
“I really felt like the house was lifted off the ground, just the way it felt,” said Bridget Kuehl, a Mayville resident.
“And while we were in the basement, two of the windows blew out, so I realized that probably wasn’t a good sign,” another resident said.
Despite the severe damage, no injuries have been reported so far as the community works to clean up and recover—something Boelk is thankful for.
“There were no severe injuries, which, you know, I thank the Lord for. That could have been a lot worse than it was,” Boelk said.
If you have property damage or trees down, you’re advised to:
- Put trees, branches and other debris in separate piles by the curb for DPW crews to dispose of.
- Dump your debris at City Hall, where dumpsters will be made available.
- Be cautious of power lines and do not touch them, as some may be back-fed from generators.
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