Storm knocks out power at schools

A storm Tuesday night cut power and did widespread damage across communities in southern and western parts of Sheboygan County, including Cedar Grove.

A tornado warning around 4:20 p.m. chased the Cedar Grove-Belgium football, cross country and volleyball teams, staff and fitness center users to shelter inside the high school.

All the district’s schools lost power, which caused a special School Board meeting to be canceled. The board will discuss the budget at its regularly scheduled Sept. 12 meeting.

The football team went inside after Coach Dan Schreurs got the tornado warning message on his phone. He had been watching the radar “like a hawk.”

“I fumbled my whistle as I was trying to get it to my mouth,” he said.

The team stayed in the locker room as coaches watched weather reports in the fitness center. When they saw they were in the path of the storm, everyone moved to the tornado shelter in the other locker room, Schreurs said.

The power went out and soon came back on when generators kicked in, and the storm passed through.

The football team finished practice in the multi-activity court across from the fitness center.

“I’ve been chased off the field by lightning before, but in my 19 years not a tornado,” Schreurs said.

Cross country coach Brandon Langer said the team was running around campus before going inside and cutting practice short.

Supt. Jeanne Courneene, fitness center users and hall walkers all joined athletes and coaches in the tornado shelter for about 30 minutes.

Director of Buildings and Grounds Ben Lukens said the school was without power from 5:30 until about 11 p.m.

“The backup generators ran. Everything came back up this morning,” he said.

The entire area was affected.

“It was community wide, not just the school,” Lukens said.

Heavy rains since Sunday night soaked the school grounds, but the football field is still playable.

“It dries out pretty well,” Lukens said.

The Rockets don’t play at home until Friday, Sept. 7 against St. Mary’s Springs.

Belgium Director of Public Works Dan Birenbaum said the village received 5.25 inches of rain from Sunday night through Monday morning, causing some flooding issues.

“People had water in basements. Sump pumps probably couldn’t keep up,” he said.

The fire department pumped out a house in the 800 block of North Street and a couple of homes on Elm Street needed similar help, he said.

The village’s wastewater treatment plant was maxed out and needed extra pumping.  Birenbaum said all the water was treated but some was pumped onto the ground and will end up in drainage ditches.