Severe Storm Damages Southern Wisconsin School and Homes

A possible tornado tore roofs from houses and blew down part of an elementary school in the Madison, Wisc., area early Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. No serious injuries were reported.

Dane County Emergency Management officials received about 350 reports of storm damage after the storm packing dangerously high winds hit shortly after midnight. Some 15 homes in the city of Verona sustained severe damage. Emergency managers said the north side of Verona and the southwest side of Madison suffered the brunt of the damage.

The Salvation Army set up a shelter at Memorial Baptist Church in Verona for displaced residents.

Country View Elementary School in Verona partially collapsed, according to police Lt. David Dresser. The department will take an inventory of damaged homes and other structures later Tuesday.

Early Tuesday, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin surveyed the damage at homes on the state capital’s southwest side where winds had blown away at least six roofs.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Steve Davis said a tornado likely moved from Green County into southern Dane County shortly after midnight.

“From the imagery we’re seeing, we can’t imagine this wouldn’t be a tornado,” Davis said.

Davis said the agency had received reports of downed power lines and trees, but no injuries in Green County. The weather service also planned to survey the area later Tuesday.

Authorities said damage reports were coming in from across Dane County, particularly along a stretch from Verona northeast into Madison with reports of trees and power lines down.

Madison Gas and Electric and Alliant Energy reported about 6,000 homes lost power in Dane County early Tuesday.

At least five buildings were damaged on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville campus.