JANESVILLE, Wis. – At least one large tornado was spotted moving through southeast Wisconsin on Saturday night, leaving a path of destruction and power outages in its wake.

Janesville city officials said a tornado touched down on the south side of the community, causing considerable damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure.

Storm spotters in the area recorded video showing the twister when the tornado-warned storm was moving through Rock County about 8:30 p.m.

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Drone video from the Chicago and Midwest Storm Chasers showed several homes with significant damage, including missing roofs and campers flipped over by the powerful weather system. 

Officials said they activated the city’s Emergency Operations Center and resources are available for residents impacted by the severe weather event. Officials also said they are looking for volunteers to help with storm cleanup.

Parts of Janesville, including Center Avenue, Kellog Avenue, Beloit Avenue and State Highway 11, have been closed due to disaster response. 

Many large trees were snapped in half and power poles were down in the area. 

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Tornado damage was also reported west of Janesville in Lafayette County.

According to the parish website, Apple Grove Lutheran Church in Argyle was destroyed by a tornado Saturday evening. 

“The good news is we are all safe and we continue to be the body of Christ and will through this time as well,” the message read.

Suspected tornado damage in Argyle, Wisconsin seen on Sunday, June 23, 2024.

(@wx_alexis/X)

On Sunday morning, thousands were without power across the Great Lakes and Midwest, including nearly 12,000 in Wisconsin and 22,000 in Illinois. Most of the outages in Wisconsin are in Rock and Walworth counties. 

Damage survey teams with the National Weather Service will need to assess the destruction to confirm the strength of the tornado based on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

A Wisconsin local official is fuming at a left-wing group for staging a naked protest throughout a nearby city in the purview of children, calling the event “evil” in a Fox News Digital interview. 

The World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) is an international protest event to promote liberal causes, including pushing animosity about the petroleum industry’s agenda. The event has outraged local parents in Madison, located in Dane County, who try to keep their children out of the city when the bike ride is scheduled, according to county board supervisor Jeff Weigand. 

The group said the June 15 event was “clothing-optional” focused on “protesting petroleum products and supporting positive body values.” 

Weigand’s impression is that their mission is dark and depraved, and said the cyclists desperately need Jesus. 

“We need to protect children,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And that’s government’s fundamental role as to protect innocence and and to protect good and to punish evil. And when we see this type of behavior happening, especially to our children, it’s absolutely appalling and we cannot allow it to happen.” 

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“I absolutely believe that this is evil. Many people say it’s about body positivity or  protesting oil,” the father of five children said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “They will stop at nothing to push their agenda on innocent bystanders.” 

Weigand was among the first community members to raise concerns about the climate protest, prompting him to question why local police did not take action against the cyclists. 

“It’s really inexcusable that this type of behavior continues to happen. And it’s, and it’s really, frustrating that law enforcement continues to allow it to happen, when it really shouldn’t be taking place in the first place,” Weigand said. 

A nudity bill was introduced to the Wisconsin Senate that proposed to prohibit the “attendance of children at public events with groups of nude adults.” SB 477 ultimately “failed to concur” by April 15.

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“We’re just trying to, you know, have a fun community event out here,” a participant told a local media outlet. “Try to see the good in the thing instead of always looking for the negative.”

Another participant said, “One of the things that I love about the ride is seeing families out there with parents with their kids saying, ‘Hey, look at the naked riders. Wave at the naked riders,’ things like that. The ones that are doing that are sending their children very important message that this is not weird, this is not strange.”

The Madison bike ride showcased nude cyclists in the town square, leading a Christian dad to call it “evil.” (Fox News Digital)

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Weigand firmly disagreed, believing he has a right to not see nudity in the public square. 

“The proponents of this naked bike ride say that they have the freedom to protest, and they absolutely do. But when their freedom to protest violates my freedom, and it forces me to see something that I don’t want to see or I don’t want my children to see, that’s a violation of my freedom, and that’s a violation of my liberty. And that’s where they cross the line,” the father of five and former foster care parent told Fox News Digital. 

“We’re going to continue to raise this issue and fight against it because it’s worth protecting the innocence of our children,” Weigand added. 

He offered a recommendation that the participants “enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ.” 

Fox News Digital contacted the bike group for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

The William’s Bay Fire Department at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, 2024 requested mutual aid assistance for tornado damage in the Village of William’s Bay, Wisconsin. Area firefighters, paramedics and/or command officers and equipment are responding from nearby communities in Wisconsin and Illinois.

One or two tornadoes may have struck the area along a line from Delavan Lake to the northern area of Williams Bay to Lake Como around 8:25 p.m.

Walworth County Sheriff also responded to numerous reports of trees down and power lines down by 10:00 p.m.

Numerous utility poles down at Hazel Ridge Road which runs between Delavan and Elkhorn.

A gas line was also reported ripped from a home in the block of 0-99 Valley Street.

Damage near Bailey Road, which runs between Delavan Lake Wisconsin Highway 67.

Roofs ripped off multiple homes in the Bailey Estates Community, which is located on the north side of the Village of Williams Bay.

Unified command involves emergency agencies from Williams Bay and Delavan located at Wisconsin Highway 67 and Bailey Road.

Disaster Box 36-8 staging was set up at Theater Road and Sussex Drive, which is located on the west side of the Bailey Estates Community.

Emergency equipment assigned on the Disaster Box includes …

Fire engines from Fontana, Elkhorn;

A ladder truck from the Town of Delavan;

Tenders from Sharon, and Boone 1;

Rescue Squads from City of Delavan and Walworth;

Ambulances from the Town of Delavan, Walworth, Lake Geneva, and Fontana;

Chiefs from Town of Delavan, Elkhorn, City of Delavan, and Fontana; and

Specials from WCSO Emergency Management, WCSO Command Unit, Racine Fire Bells, MD-1, Division Duty Officer (notification).

Developing …

The first Tornado Warning in the area was issued about 7:43 p.m. for communities including Janesville WI, Hanover WI and Avalon WI until 8:15 PM CDT.

The first Tornado Warning in the immediate area was issued about 8:07 p.m. for communities including Elkhorn WI, Delavan WI and Walworth WI until 8:45 PM CDT.

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