Home » Uncategorized » Storm causes damage near Readfield

Storm causes damage near Readfield

A severe storm passed through southeastern Waupaca and northern Waushara counties Sunday evening.

Homes and barns were damaged, trees and power lines were downed. In Waupaca County, the hardest hit areas were near Readfield and in the town of Caledonia.

No deaths or injuries were reported.

The storm hit Hancock in Waushara County around 6 p.m. and moved in a northeasterly direction. The National Weather Service reported that severe winds, hail and heavy rain passed the Fremont area shortly after 7 p.m. and near New London at 7:30 p.m.

“You could pretty much draw a straight line from County H through the northwest corner of Readfield to the county line,” according to Waupaca County Emergency Management Director Andrew Carlin.

Carlin spent much of Monday surveying the damage. He has yet to estimate the cost of destruction caused by the storm but found that 15 buildings had been damaged or destroyed.

Most of the damage occurred to barns, silos and sheds, although one home was destroyed and a church lost its steeple.

“A lot of the damage involved roof shingles being blown off,” Carlin said.

Richard Schmitz’s family lives at E8981 County Road H, less than a mile west of Readfield in the town of Caledonia, east of Fremont. The storm destroyed his barn but did no major damage to his home.

“I heard the faint sound of a train and said, ‘No, that’s wrong, it’s time to go in,'” Schmitz told the County Post Monday.

His family rushed to the basement,

“The house is so soundproof. I didn’t hear anything. By the time we were in the basement, it was through,” Schmitz said.

Schmitz described the barn as older, but big and solid. The storm also damaged an above-ground pool, new patio furniture and playground equipment.

Reviewing the damage, Schmitz said, “We can clean it up, we just need some big

Scroll to Top