Storm damages apartments near lakefront in Racine

 

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Storms blew into the area with force, leaving behind a trail of damages in Racine, especially near the lakefront. On Main Street, emergency crews responded where a rooftop was in danger of collapsing.

It's a corner building at Main and Third Street, and it was occupied when someone called 911 to report a sagging ceiling and a big leak. First responders evacuated all six units, and a number of businesses on the block too. Then they worked to relieve some of the water pressure on the rooftop.

"And I just hope we can get back in there. I was supposed to go to work at 4:00. I don't have socks on," said Kyle Derosier, evacuated tenant.

Twin brothers Kyle and Myles Derosier got ushered out of their apartment by firefighters fast when a leaky roof -- following heavy storms -- became a concern.

"It wasn't really chaotic like they had it under control, so they just got everyone out. I think I was one of the last people out of the building," said Myles Derosier, evacuated tenant.

A family member of the owner tells us it started as a small leak, but the pressure of heavy rains left so much standing water on the roof that it began to bow.

"Mother nature is definitely unpredictable (giggles)" said Sandy Klein, boater.

A few blocks away at Reef Point Marina…

"It got real dark and it was raining real hard and then all of a sudden the wind really picked up and all the boats shook, all the docks shook," said Pete Klein, boater.

When the Kleins emerged from their boat on the odd side of the pier, they found a number of docks on the even side in disarray.

"Three of the docks fully detached and one of them drifted out about 30, 40 yards away from the main pier that it was hooked onto, and then collided with another dock that kind of held it in place so it didn’t float out all the way," said Pete Klein.

Fortunately no injuries, but boaters attached to the drifting dock had to wait for someone to escort them back on shore.

"Yea the marina was very responsive quickly to help and they've been working all afternoon to straighten the pier out and get it ready to hook back up," said Pete and Sandy Klein.

A mile from the lakefront police had 16th and Philipps blocked for safety when a power line snapped. Down the street, a large tree cracked at the base, falling onto a house and cracking a fence. Fortunately, no one was home when it happened, but neighbors heard it.

"And I witnessed across the street my neighbors' trees start, not bending, but starting to spin around and the wind picked up very, very strong," said Lisa Baker, witness.

Structural engineers visited the scene today at Third and Main, as did the Red Cross.