Severe storms were bearing down on southeastern Wisconsin on Friday night, with warnings spreading across the region as forecasters said the system could bring damaging winds, large hail, flooding and a threat of tornadoes. The storms were expected to hit from 5 to 11 p.m., and rain could linger through early Saturday morning.
By 7:57 p.m., a tornado warning was in effect for Milwaukee County until 8:45 p.m., while the warning for Waukesha County was also extended to 8:45 p.m. That came after a fast-moving series of alerts that started in the early evening and widened as the line of storms moved across the area.
The latest warnings marked the sharpest escalation yet for a Friday night that had already turned active. At 7:47 p.m., tornado warnings were extended until 8:45 p.m. for Walworth, Kenosha and Racine counties. Just before that, at 7:44 p.m., a flash flood warning was issued for Milwaukee, Jefferson, Racine, Walworth and Waukesha counties until 10:45 p.m.
The pace of the alerts showed how quickly the storm line was deepening across the region. At 7:35 p.m., the tornado warning for Racine and Waukesha counties was extended until 8 p.m. A new severe thunderstorm warning had been issued at 7:26 p.m. for Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties until 8:15 p.m., adding to a growing list of counties under warning.
The warnings had started to stack up well before that. At 7:12 p.m., tornado warnings were issued for Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties until 8 p.m. Three minutes earlier, at 7:09 p.m., a tornado warning was issued for Waukesha County until 7:45 p.m., and WISN 12 News' Matt Smith said the sirens were going off.
By 7:06 p.m., a severe thunderstorm warning covered Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties. At 7:03 p.m., a flash flood warning was issued for Jefferson and Dodge counties until 10:15 p.m. And at 6:46 p.m., a tornado warning was issued for Dodge and Jefferson counties until 7:30 p.m.
Earlier in the evening, the storm system had already pushed warnings into more of southeastern Wisconsin. A new severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 6:27 p.m. for Jefferson, Walworth and Waukesha counties until 7:30 p.m. The tornado warning in Walworth County was then extended at 6:40 p.m. until 7:15 p.m., followed by an expanded severe thunderstorm warning at 6:42 p.m. for Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Washington and Ozaukee counties.
The spread of warnings made clear the storms were not isolated cells but a broad and changing line moving through the region. With tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings and flash flood warnings all active at once, Friday night became a race against wind, rain and rotation across southeastern Wisconsin.