ANIWA — A campground in Marathon County was left in ruins on Saturday morning as a sudden and severe storm swept through the area, catching campers completely off guard.
Channse and Ranger Davis, who were camping at Motorama Events Grounds in Aniwa, described the moment the storm hit.
Watch: Sudden storm leaves Wisconsin campground in ruins:
"As we were standing there in the kitchen, we felt a small sway, about a foot sway, then it was a 2-foot sway, and then you could just feel the wind pick up more and the camper fell," said Ranger.
The couple wrote an email to TMJ4 News saying that none of the campers received any warning on their phones and did not hear a tornado siren.
“The fact that none of us died is a miracle, to say the least,” Channse said in an interview with Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins, expressing their gratitude for surviving what could have been a deadly situation.
In a dashcam video shared by the campers, the storm can be seen wreaking havoc as it uprooted trees and battered vehicles with hail.
“I was listening to the hail and it was getting louder and louder and that's when (Channse) had told me, we need to stay away from those windows," said Ranger.
After enjoying a peaceful evening, the Davis couple woke to the ferocity of the storm.
“Like you felt the whole thing lift, and then basically you're in what I would say was like maybe a 40-degree angle,” Channse Davis said. “And then finally, the weight of the top of the camper just gave way with the rest, and it went.”
Once the storm passed, the couple escaped to find extensive damage: uprooted trees, crushed tents, and multiple flipped campers, alongside layers of hail scattered across the ground.
“The first thing we did was went to check on everyone else,” they said.
Emergency responders attended to several victims, with Channse and Ranger reporting “glass in us and we had bumps and bruises and scratches, but nothing life-threatening.”
They, along with several others, went to the Emergency Room.
The Davis couple voiced their confusion and concern over the lack of prior warning for the severe weather, suggesting that the incident was unexpected.
“I think this was kind of more of a freak incident. Like I don't think anyone expected this kind of thing to happen,” Channse said.
As they await clarification on whether they experienced a tornado or a microburst, the couple remains thankful to be alive after a harrowing experience in Aniwa.
National Weather Service officials are surveying the area to learn more.
