Storms in Milwaukee downs trees, power outages throughout the city
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A fast-moving storm pulled tree limbs down, some landing on live wires, causing fires and power outages.
It's dark out here now, but we're standing in the middle of what are numerous tree limbs down, too many to count. And people wondering what weather phenomenon did this.
"Felt like a mini tornado if it was one," said Michael Zollicoffer Junior.
Michael Zollicoffer Junior, his wife and kids found their backyard in disarray off 117th Street after the noisy afternoon storm blew through.
"The house was vibrating, and the winds were so loud, it was whistling. So, it was pretty intense," said Zollicoffer.
In the aftermath, large tree limbs, at least four, cracked off the trees in his neighbors' yards, taking down some live wires and knocking out power to a number of homes. This tree limb, landing in his yard, narrowly missed the backyard furniture.
"I looked out the window and I actually saw that power line zap. Yeah, I didn't really have time to breath or just think about it. I just kind of had to get out. And I just kind of started screaming fire and they thought I was joking," said Maya Zollicoffer.
"But we're all safe so. Your wife told me that that fence over there is new?"
"It is new."
"How lucky are you feeling right now?"
"I'm feeling good. There's a cardinal actually right now about to jump onto my birdfeeder. You know what they say about cardinals? Yea, someone's watching over us, right?" said Michael Zollicoffer Jr.
In Milwaukee, winds also damaged an incredible number of trees near the lakefront.
Roger Yarberry was dodging raindrops on his ride here, never expecting to find all this. Lincoln Memorial Drive is literally littered with large branches from Bradford Beach to well past McKinley Marina.
"And we come around here and we run into rain two more times, but there wasn't no high winds or anything. The traffic was running smooth down the highway. We pulled into here and then we seen all the brush and the tree limbs broke out," said Yarberry.
In addition, flooding has been a problem in spots. Landmark Lanes is closed now because of it.