National Weather Service confirms tornado hit Colby Monday

COLBY − The National Weather Service confirmed Tuesday that an EF0 tornado touched down in Colby Monday.

One of the National Weather Service forecasters worked with the Marathon County Emergency Management staff to verify the tornado, said Jillian Goodian, National Weather Service meteorologist. Monday's storm also brought a lot of straight line winds that did damage in Marathon and Taylor counties, Goodian said.

Considerable damage took place Monday across various parts of the Taylor County town of Holway, about 22 miles northwest of Colby, according to a news release from Daniel Gebert, Taylor County Emergency Management director. The storm, characterized by strong winds and heavy rainfall, swept through Holway and did considerable damage across parts of the community, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, according to a news release. Emergency response teams, including local fire departments and law enforcement agencies, mobilized to assess and address the situation.

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A farm on Taylor County DD sustained substantial damage, ranging from fallen trees to structural impacts, according to the news release. Other areas have had localized flooding, downed power lines and reports of power outages.

Residents are urged to use caution as cleanup efforts continue and authorities advise avoiding the areas unless necessary.

The National Weather Service has predicted thunderstorms are likely in central Wisconsin Tuesday evening. Organized severe weather is not likely, but a few storms could produce strong wind gusts and torrential rain.

Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.

This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: National Weather Service confirms tornado hit Colby Monday