Wisconsin Tornado Kills One
A man who witnessed the tornado that swept through a Wisconsin neighborhood, flattening homes and leaving one man dead,
said "the sky just exploded" as the twister moved in.
Fifteen homes were leveled Thursday and 30 others had moderate to severe damage in the town of 12,500 near Madison in
south-central Wisconsin. The line of storms also caused extensive damage in the village of Viola, in the southwestern
part of the state. At least eight people were injured in and around Stoughton and in Viola.
Gov. Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency Friday in Dane and Richland counties, the two hardest hit by Thursday's
storms. The order directs state agencies to help local governments in cleaning up.
Shelters were set up at Stoughton, Viola and Spring Green for those left homeless by the storms. Leaking natural gas
caused the evacuation of about 200 Stoughton residents.
Plans were under way for a pass system to let residents return to their homes once it is safe.
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