MAYVILLE, Wis. (WKOW) – Homes in the City of Mayville are left with windows shattered and walls ripped straight from their foundation after a tornado ripped through the city Thursday night.
Coleson Fiore and his family are watching crews clear trees off their home.
“Our neighbor’s tree fell over and totally destroyed our front porch,” said Fiore.
The Fiore’s moved to Mayville in October from Iron Mountain. They rode out Thursday’s storm in their new basement.
“At 6:30, we came up and from those front windows, you just could not see outside at all,” said Fiore. “It was totally dark.”
A couple of streets away from the Fiore’s home, some of the biggest businesses in Mayville, Gleason Reel and Mayville Engineering Company, are now decimated.
Storm Chaser Alicia Steffenhagen watched it all unfold Thursday night.
“The minute it hit, I was already out here, and it was, like, in a matter of seconds it hit, it went from bright as day to dead calm, and then it just went pitch black,” said Steffenhagen.
Steffenhagen said despite putting herself at risk, the bigger picture is worth it.
“It's something that you know you're putting your life in danger, but you're making sure that people's lives are safe at the same time,” said Steffenhagen.
Now, the community is looking ahead. Mayville Mayor Rob Boelk said despite the long road to recovery ahead, the city’s off to a good start.
“Neighbor helping neighbor, that’s what Mayville’s all about,” said Boelk.“ We’re a blue collar town, and we're hard working and I'm glad everyone’s coming together.”
And people like Fiore are choosing to look at the bright side.
“I’m mostly just glad nobody got hurt,” said Fiore. “We just can’t use our front door anymore”
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