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Tornado Rips Through Northwestern Wisconsin
Written by Ray Steen, Writer, RedCross.org
Faith United Methodist Church in Ladysmith is one of the many buildings destroyed by Monday's tornado.
Photo courtesy of Dennis Kaetterhenry
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September 3, 2002 — With little warning on Monday (Sept. 2) afternoon, a twister tore through Ladysmith, Wisc., a town of 4,000 people, leaving roof tops wrapped around trees, power lines down, and over 60 residential and commercial buildings destroyed. Forty people were reportedly injured and taken to area hospitals, and as of Tuesday morning, no deaths were reported.
The tornado swept through downtown Ladysmith, flattening structures that would have otherwise been full of people, had it not been for the Labor Day holiday. The tornado was part of a larger storm that hit a rural area near Wausau and affected residents in four counties including Portage, Marathon, Rusk and Taylor.
"All of a sudden, this strong wind was there, and then the rain, then boom, it was just there; there wasn't any warning or any indication," resident Cheryl Nussberger told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Residents told CNN that everything happened so fast that the tornado siren never sounded.
"A lot of people are just walking and crying," resident Dawn Hills told CNN.
Monday night, about 20 people spent the night at the Red Cross shelter in Bruce where disaster mental health counselors consoled those who lost their homes. Some 2,500 residents who are still without power can receive health services, food and water at the Red Cross service center at the Americinn Hotel in Medford.
Red Cross emergency response vehicles (ERVs) continue to patrol the affected areas, providing snacks to residents and relief workers.
The American Red Cross Greater Milwaukee Chapter, Chippewa Valley Chapter, Marathon County Chapter and Portage County Chapter are working together to provide disaster relief.
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All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. The Red Cross also supplies nearly half of the nation's lifesaving blood. This, too, is made possible by generous voluntary donations. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. You can make a secure online credit card donation or call 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Or you may send your donation to your local Red Cross or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. To donate blood, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543), or contact your local Red Cross to find out about upcoming blood drives.
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