Tornado Damage in Chippewa County Estimated at More Than $3 Million

Damage from last week’s tornado in the western Wisconsin town of Wheaton is estimated at more than three-million dollars.  Chippewa County Emergency Management director Dennis Brown says he submitted the preliminary damage estimate to the state, which includes the costs of repairing or replacing 29 homes that were damaged or destroyed by the September 24th tornado.  Debris removal is estimated at 90-thousand dollars so far and Brown says volunteers have helped defray those costs.  More than a thousand people took part in cleanup efforts over the weekend.  The town will apply for assistance through the Wisconsin Disaster Fund.