'A Lot of People Are Going to Need a Lot of Help' After Storms

A trail of damaged homes and buildings dotted a wide swath of the US on Saturday after a burst of destructive winds and reported tornadoes tore off roofs, uprooted trees, and rendered rural roads impassable with debris. No deaths were reported following Friday's storms that barreled through the Upper Midwest and delivered the latest round of severe weather to batter the region. In some rural communities, officials braced residents for a long recovery, the AP reports.

In central Wisconsin, a reported tornado that tore through the cities of Kronenwetter and Ringle left behind damaged homes and some residents briefly trapped in their basements, Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman told reporters. Marathon County Sheriff Chad Billeb said he had not seen this much devastation during his 34 years in law enforcement. "A lot of people are going to need a lot of help," Billeb said of the Wisconsin storms. In Olmsted County, Minnesota, sheriff's officials said tornadoes caused "multiple levels" of damage. At least 30 homes were damaged in Marion Township. Officials went door to door to check on residents. The National Weather Service said that the damage was likely caused by tornadoes and that surveys of the affected areas would be conducted over the weekend.

In Illinois, Leo Zach, 14, had just gotten to the high school band room when the building started shaking and the power went out. He said some students had panic attacks. "I'm definitely on the luckier side of how that could've happened," he said. "I was just trying to stay calm, help other people." When they got outside, they found windows blown out in the gym and part of the school's roof ripped off. Photos and video posted online showed a garage totaled, bricks torn off buildings, and fences demolished. In Lena, northwest of Chicago, Rachel Nemon was going to pick up her stepson from middle school when she had to pull into a car wash to take cover. She watched a large tree get ripped from the ground and sparks fly feet in front of her. "This is something that you see online, not in real life," she said.