OCONOMOWOC — Strong winds and sheets of rain uprooted trees and downed power lines Sunday afternoon across Southeastern Wisconsin.
Waukesha County received a brunt of the damage.
Throughout Oconomowoc yards were torn apart, leaving some without power.
It was just before 1 p.m. when Jon Peterson heard what sounded like a loud rip feet away from his home.
A massive tree cracked and fell down right in front of his neighbor’s house on Concord Road.
“When it hit the ground our whole house shook,” Peterson said.
The power went out, and sparks went flying.
“The line got ripped out of our two houses and it went into the street like a whip,” Peterson said.
A little more than a mile away over on Oakwood, Jason Heard watched a tree fall onto his house, which was just repaired for water damage.
“The part that’s actually leaning against the house is the first part that fell down,” Heard said.
“We were just moving back in and so we just got our floors done, and everything was going good.”
Now they’ll have to pick up the pieces all over again just like others in the neighborhood.
Catherine Callaghan already started taking preventative measures for the next storm.
“My husband said okay. The rain’s done, let’s cut it down,” Callaghan said.
The clean up is only beginning, but residents are thankful they’re all safe.
“I can pay all of the electricians or whatever in the world.
I can’t replace my family and our neighbors, so that’s all that really matters,” Peterson said.
