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The Herald Times Reporter reports that recent record-setting extreme weather in Wisconsin has caused damage to numerous homes.
Those whose property has been damaged by the extreme weather in Racine County, which was hit particularly hard, may be helped by extended-stay hotels in the Milwaukee area until their homes are restored to their proper condition.
The extreme weather was caused when a low-pressure area formed by the jet stream, a wind pattern coming from the Pacific Coast, merged with storm systems from Canada, resulting in an amplification of the Canadian storms’ energy. The combination resulted in the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded in the continental United States, barring a hurricane, reports the news source.
Wind speeds reached maximum speeds of 76 mph, knocking over trees and fences and tearing shingles and siding from homes. Emergency Management of Winnebago County issued a warning to coastal homeowners regarding possible rapid changes in water level caused by shifts in the wind.
The most serious destruction occurred in Racine County when a small tornado caused severe damage to the roofs of a high school and a manufacturing plant as well as to nearby semitrailers and houses.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that 62,000 people were left without power by the windstorms, with 18,000 of those not expected to regain power for several days. The news source reports that officials in the town of Minocqua were debating setting up shelters for those without power.
The widespread damage to homes and other property has led American Family Insurance, Wisconsin’s biggest provider of homeowner’s insurance, to summon 15 claims adjusters from other regions to aid in the effort to restore people’s houses to their previous states.
Tracy Groth, operations administrator for the company, told the Herald Times Reporter that 400 claims had been filed following a windstorm on October 26th, adding that “the company anticipates that number to climb to 2,000 or more, depending on the severity of the ongoing winds.”
Thanks to the power outages and damage caused by the windstorm, many people have been left without adequate shelter, and that number may persist once the winds abate as construction crews repair damaged roofs, walls and yards and as utility companies restore power.
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