Drone video captures tornado rumbling through Wisconsin
A tornado was spotting ripping through homes on drone footage Wednesday afternoon in Sauk City, WI.
Drone video shows tornado in Wisconsin
Drone video shot on Wednesday shows a tornado spinning up in Sauk City, Wisconsin.
CHICAGO – A clash of air masses Wednesday resulted in severe storms in parts of the Great Lakes, which included several tornadoes that were caught on video across the Badger State.
Photos and videos from eyewitnesses and storm chasers caught evidence of the tornadoes around Dodgeville and Sauk City, which are in southwestern Wisconsin.
At least one of the twisters appeared to strike homes and buildings, but it was unclear if anyone was injured during the early hours of what was expected to be a localized severe weather outbreak.
Power outage tracking websites only showed a few hundred electrical outages, which were primarily west of Interestate 90.
A Tornado Watch was in place for most of southern Wisconsin, including Madison and Milwaukee, through Wednesday evening, and much of Northern Illinois, including Chicago, was under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.
The Storm Prediction Center had placed large parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Colorado under a "slight" risk of severe storms - a Level 2 out of 5 on its severe storm scale.
Cities such as Milwaukee, Chicago, Green Bay, Peoria and Davenport were all included in the threat in the eastern zone, while Denver and Cheyenne are included in the western risk zone.
Nearly 5 million people around Chicago were put under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning on Wednesday afternoon as a line of storms capable of producing winds 60-70 mph and hail rolled through the city.
Wind gusts of nearly 70 mph were reported southwest of the city along Interstate 55, which caused damage to trees and power lines.
The threat of severe weather tappered off between sunset and the overnight hours as the frontal boundary slowly moves through the region.
WHAT’S BEHIND ALL THE RECENT EXTREME FLOODING?
Wisconsin tornado seen from Dodgeville during severe storms
Video from Dodgevile shows a tornado on the ground in south central Wisconsin on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
In addition to the severe weather threat, dew points and precipitable water values were high, meaning any thunderstorm that developed had the potential to drop 1-2 inches of rain in a short period, leading to a flash flooding threat.
Communities around Davenport, Iowa, and Chicago already experienced significant flooding during the past week, with areas recently placed under Flash Flood Warnings and Flash Flood Emergencies.
Just 6 inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet, while a foot of floodwater can cause a vehicle to stall and float away.
According to NOAA historical data, an average of 127 people die from flooding each year, with nearly half of those fatalities involving vehicles.
Flash flooding leaves cars stranded in feet of water
Two men had to wade through feet of water to escape flooding in Davenport, Iowa Friday.
KNOW YOUR FLOOD TERMINOLOGY: WHAT FLOOD WATCHES, WARNINGS, AND EMERGENCIES REALLY MEAN
In addition to providing some drought relief, the wet weather is expected to help clear the air of wildfire smoke that has lingered over the region.
Air quality alerts were in effect before the arrival of the wet weather, as wildfires from Canada and daily pollution combined to produce unhealthy levels of ozone.
Authorities in the Windy City declared an "Air Pollution Action Day" on Tuesday as particle and ozone levels were expected to reach the unhealthy range.
The National Weather Service encouraged children and sensitive adults to limit outdoor activities and spend time in a well-ventilated setting.
Once the front moves through, it should bring more pleasant weather, with highs expected to reach only the 70s on Friday and 80s on Saturday before more wet weather moves in over the weekend and into next week.