Lightning in Waukesha County, Wisconsin

An out-of-season round of pulse severe storms affected parts of Waukesha County with marginally-severe large hail. The coop observer in Brookfield noted that the ground was covered white with hail. The storms were associated with a warm front which pushed into southern Wisconsin as low pressure moved from Missouri to southern lower Michigan. Additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms, with locally moderate to heavy rains, continued into the evening hours over parts of Waukesha, Jefferson, and Rock Counties. However, the storms dumped larger amounts of rain (2.0 to almost 3.5 inches) in Waukesha County, resulting in flash flooding in the Sussex to Waukesha (city) area. Water depths up to 1 to 2 feet closed Highway 164 in the city of Waukesha, and forced two vehicle roll-overs on I-94 just west of the city of Waukesha that left the vehicles damaged. Also, water up to 1 foot in depth covered Interstate-94 near Pewaukee Rd. Widespread street flooding was reported in the city of Waukesha that caused several vehicles to stall. Fallen leaves plugging storm sewers contributed to the flash flooding. At the Milwaukee TV-6 school network site in Dousman, 3.41 inches of rain was measured. Around an estimated 2000CST, lightning struck a home in the Town of Merton (1.7 miles north of Hartland in Waukesha Co.) just east of Beaver Lake. The resultant fire quickly burned the expensive home to the ground. The 2005 assessed value of the home was $1,074,000. No one was in the home at the time.