SUSSEX, Wis. (CBS 58) – A confirmed EF-2 tornado created significant damage in the Sussex-Lisbon area, leaving business owners with a mess to cleanup on Wednesday, April 15.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Survey confirmed an EF-2 tornado in the Town of Lisbon in northern Waukesha County, just north of Sussex.

Construction businesses, landscaping companies and a storage facility on Indian Grass Lane were some of the places where the storm hit the hardest.

“I love storms, but this was a little bit different, it felt different. It felt different, the hail was pretty intense,” said Jim Arshem, owner of Landworks, a landscaping business. “Today was the first time it really hit close to home where firsthand I’ve seen the damage a tornado can do and it’s definitely terrifying.”

The NWS says maximum winds during the tornado hit 120 MPH. The tornado had a path length 3.2 miles and duration of 6 minutes. The tornado snapped trees in half, shattered windows and destroyed garage doors at the businesses in the area.

PHOTO GALLERY

James Schellinger, a friend of the owner of Wally’s Landscaping Company on Indian Grass Lane, said the owner was out of town during the storms. Schellinger came to the area to help clean up the business on Wednesday

“It pretty much tore out the whole inside and a lot of the main offices are ruined this morning,” Schellinger said. “It’s obviously not a good situation to be in.”

The Village of Sussex will be performing a storm tree and brush pick-up as a result of the damage and residents should look to the village website www.sussexwi.gov for more details about that pick-up.

“We are thankful that there were no serious injuries from the storms last night in Sussex,” said Jeremy Smith, the Village Administrator in Sussex. “The community does have a lot of damages from fallen trees some of which impacted homes and there are areas with power line damage and areas without power this morning. We ask folks to stay away from any downed power lines for their safety.”

Smith said village crews have begun cleanup operations, but this work will take some time due to the quantity of trees that fell throughout the community.

While the images of the tornado may seem destructive, Schellinger said its also a reminder of what’s present as people help pick up what was destroyed.

“Obviously it's a bad situation, but it can really bring people together, which is a good thing,” Schellinger said.