The storm damage in Ringle is devastating
An update plus some photos from Friday evening's tornado damage
The first fire call that the Ringle Fire Chief talked about Friday night was from one of his own firefighters. That man’s house had been hit by the tornado.
That firefighter was one of many whose houses were damaged or even destroyed by tornado touchdowns Friday afternoon. Roughly 75 houses were impacted by the storm. The pictures speak for themselves.
The tornado actually tracked through Kronenwetter first, Marathon County Sheriff Chad Billeb says, before doing most of its damage in Ringle.
Some people were even trapped in their basements, Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman told reporters. Rescue workers were able to get those people to safety without any injuries.
County emergency management crews were assessing the damage Saturday morning. The county has received an overwhelming number of volunteer offers, according to county spokesperson Sarah Severson.
County leaders are asking the public to wait until the damage assessment is complete before showing up to help. The Community Foundation will be setting up a fund to help those whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the storm, Billeb says.
The Wausonian will update this post with information on volunteer opportunities to help with the storm damage, and with information on where people can donate to help those whose houses were damaged or destroyed.
