Schools in Brookfield will be closed for a second day Thursday due to the extensive damage and power issues related to Tuesday's severe storm.

Lynne Herpel was sitting on her front porch with a friend right before the storm.

"The sky got black," she said. "As soon as we stood up, it hit us. I mean hit us."

Her home was OK, but some of her neighbors saw a tremendous amount of damage. Nearly every road in town was impacted.

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The town's police chief said crews from 20 different departments worked through the night to clear roads and do welfare checks. He said many roads are now passable, but most of the town remained without power.

As crews continued to assess the damage, Herpel said she was patiently waiting for things to return to normal.

"We're down, but we're not out," she said.

Officials said people should expect to be without power for several days. The high school is open as an emergency shelter and charging station.