More than 51,000 We Energies customers were without power Monday, April 27 as outages hit during a rainstorm.
The amount of customers without power around 6 p.m. was 28,930, according to the We Energies outage map.
The figure is down from more than 51,000 without electricity around 2 p.m., and 46,305 around 3:15 p.m.
David Machado, 22, of Milwaukee was home with his sister Monday afternoon. He was about to take a nap when a loud boom broke the silence.
“We heard what sounded like a stick of dynamite going off,” Machado said.
Moments later a neighbor called saying a tree fell.
Machado, who lives along North Booth Street north of East Locust Street, ran outside and saw the tree atop his two trucks – a 1994 Chevrolet K1500 and a 2006 Ford F-150.
The Chevy was hit hardest with the engine bay completely collapsed inward. The windshield was gone. The passenger side mirror was gone. Machado said the suspension was likely shot and the frame is bent.
This truck was a gift from his brother two years ago. Two days prior Machado put about $300 of parts and registration payments into it to get it street legal again after debating selling it.
“This was a rare one,” Machado said, noting specifically the vehicle’s paint scheme. “They didn’t make a lot of these.”
Luckily, the Ford only received minor damage.
That wasn’t the only thing with minor damage as Machado noticed some of his siding was hit by the large tree, too. The tree also damaged his neighbor’s porch.
Machado said he tried to remain calm because screaming solves nothing. He was just thankful he was not inside the truck when it happened.
Machado said the tree was unkempt and he hopes this incident, along with others after this storm, might force the city to better address and maintain its trees.
“These are people’s lives at risk, these are people’s livelihoods at risk,” he said.
Falling trees and wires cause other concerns
Melody McCurtis, deputy director and lead organizer of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, was picking up her children from Milwaukee College Prep’s 38th Street campus when she noticed a fallen tree up the block. It had landed on the steps of a nearby home, blocking the sidewalk.
“I’m worried about the kids that walk to school,” she said. “They will have to walk in the street now because the sidewalk is blocked.”
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the Milwaukee Fire Department has responded to a large number of reported downed wires following the strong winds that hit the area. Additionally, nearly 100 emergency calls came into Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works for downed trees and branches.
“I greatly appreciate the quick responses from city crews to this unusual weather event,” Johnson said in the news release. “I ask everyone to be cautious and patient as crews address storm damage. Stay clear of downed wires, fallen trees and other potentially dangerous situations.”
Johnson also noted in his release that Port Milwaukee is assessing roof damage to two warehouses on its grounds.
Wind gusts hit 77 mph
Sustained winds of 60 mph, including gusts of up to 77 mph, were reported at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport at 1:32 p.m., said Mark Gehring, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Milwaukee.
Roughly 35,800 We Energies customers were without power as of 4:45 p.m., according to the utility provider’s outage map. Most are in Milwaukee County.
“We haven’t gotten any reports of damage to any structures so far,” Gehring said. “It’s been mainly uprooted trees … and downed branches on cars.”
The storm system dropped about a quarter inch of rain on Monday between 1 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to Gehring.
Scattered thundershowers are forecast to start at 8 p.m. Monday with wind gusts up to 25 mph. Gehring described the chance of severe weather or anything mirroring conditions the region saw earlier in the day as “marginal.”
We Energies customers can report their outage and find out the latest power restoration updates on the We Energies app, via phone at 800-662-4797, or on the company website: we-energies.com/OutageManagement/Status/CurrentOutage.
Reports of winds affecting businesses, especially high rise buildings, are prevalent.
Julia Fennelly with Northwestern Mutual, 100 E. Wisconsin Ave., confirmed the Mason Street lobby south revolving doors and Prospect entrance doors were closed due to high winds.
“No one was injured, and there is no impact to business operations,” Fennelly told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The doors are being boarded up and secured.”
What to do for a power outage?
Here are some of the tips for a power outage from the We Energies website:
They also suggest staying at least 25 feet from any downed lines and reporting any such lines to law enforcement.
Ricardo Torres, Chris Ramirez and April Quevedo contributed to this report.
Contact Erik at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Follow his Facebook page, The Redheadliner Erik S. Hanley, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.
This story was updated to add new information and photos.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Power outages, fallen trees affect residents on heels of rainstorm
Reporting by Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
