Madison neighbors among hundreds of southern Wisconsinites who lost power in high winds

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) — Hundreds of residents across southern Wisconsin were without power Friday due to damaging winds, including a neighborhood on Madison’s east side.

A large tree fell on power lines and took out electricity for about 20 people around 11 a.m. in Madison’s Elvehjem neighborhood.

Emily Wink was working at home and heard when the tree crashed down.

“It was a big tree,” Wink said. “All of a sudden there was this loud boom and I yelled and it spooked my cat.”

The next street over, Dorothy Ewing came home to a house without any power. Though, she was more concerned about how the outage would affect her ability to watch the Wisconsin Badgers play the Illinois Fighting Illini in Big Ten tournament play.

“My friend texted me and said, ‘The electricity’s out,’” Ewing said. “I’m like, ‘Well, that’s wonderful. How am I going to watch the game?’”

Ewing said trees have fallen in the neighborhood before, but she never thought there would be an outage like Friday’s.

While their situations were inconvenient, neither neighbor was too bothered.

“It’s at least been warm still in the house, and we have a gas stove, so we can make food,” Wink said.

While neither Wink nor Ewing could turn on the TV, they still had something to watch, right in their backyards.

“It’s been my entertainment now watching the big pole they just pulled out,” Wink said, referring to the large utility pole Madison Gas and Electric crews pulled through her neighbor’s yard.

Both residents hoped they wouldn’t be without power for too much longer.

“You just take it as you go,” Ewing said. “Not much I can do about it.”

As of Friday evening, MG&E estimated the neighborhood’s power would be restored around midnight.

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