(Waukesha, WI) – Waukesha County continued its coordinated response and damage assessment efforts today following multiple rounds of severe storms that moved through the county on the evening of Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in the Village of Lisbon, near the intersection of Highway 164 and Hillside Rd. The tornado was rated EF2 with a path length of approximately 3 miles and caused damage to homes, commercial facilities, and other structures. The last time Waukesha County was impacted by an EF2 tornado of this magnitude was the Eagle tornado of 2010. 

Waukesha County Emergency Management assessed storm damage alongside the National Weather Service, with support from the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department. Waukesha County also coordinated with fire and EMS agencies, local public works departments and officials, and voluntary agencies, as response, assessment, and recovery efforts continue. 

In the immediate aftermath of the tornado, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department called in additional personnel to assist with response operations. 18 deputies and supervisors helped with incident command, scene security, and door-to-door checks on residents near the heaviest damage. The Sheriff’s Department also deployed a UAS specialist to support aerial damage assessment efforts. 

The Waukesha County Communications Center handled more than 500 calls between 6:00 p.m. on April 14 and 8:00 a.m. on April 15, reflecting the broad impact of the storm system across the county. 

County Emergency Management is also monitoring ongoing power outages across Waukesha County. We Energies has restored many outages and continues to work to restore remaining customers. 

“In the face of a significant storm, we saw our team, partners, and the community come together to protect lives and begin recovery,” Director of Emergency Preparedness Gail Goodchild said. “We are very thankful there were no serious injuries, and that speaks to residents being prepared and taking precautions when warnings were issued,” Goodchild added.

Additional Severe Weather Possible 

Waukesha County Emergency Management is continuing to monitor conditions, with additional severe weather possible on the evening of Friday, April 17, 2026. Residents are encouraged to monitor forecasts closely and be prepared to take protective action if warnings are issued. 

Residents can sign up free of charge for AlertSense, Waukesha County’s location-based and customizable weather and emergency alert app, at waukeshacounty.myfreealerts.com. 

Safety Reminders 

Residents are urged to: 

  • Only run generators outdoors and away from windows. 
  • Stay away from downed power lines and assume all lines are energized. 
  • Use caution around storm debris, damaged buildings, and utility infrastructure. 
  • Avoid damaged areas unless necessary so emergency crews and restoration teams can work safely. 
  • Do not drive through flooded roadways. 
  • Have multiple ways to receive warnings and emergency alerts. 
  • Take immediate protective action when a warning is issued. 

Severe Weather Awareness Week Updates 

This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin, a reminder for residents to review their emergency plans, know where they would take shelter, and ensure they can receive warnings in more than one way. 

The statewide tornado drills scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2026, have been canceled. 

In addition, the spotter training scheduled for Wednesday evening in New Berlin has been canceled because of the weather and will be rescheduled.