Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE - CITY OF LAKE GENEVA

July 4, 2026 

For Immediate Release – City of Lake Geneva, Wis.

On Friday, July 3rd at approximately 12:18 PM Lake Geneva experienced a major storm event that caused considerable damage throughout the City. There are significant power outages and damage to homes, property and trees. 

City emergency staff responded to more than 100 calls for service in the initial period following the storm. The City received calls for downed wires, fire, multiple rescues (including a water rescue), CO2 alarms and various other incidents. Public Works/Utility crews worked through the night to get streets cleared and manage the outages with our public utilities. 

We have passed the first 24 hours since the incident. The City is continuing recovery efforts by working with Alliant Energy, Walworth County and additional agencies. 

Alliant Energy has brought in an additional 60 crews from surrounding areas and other states to assist with power restoration. Multiple high voltage lines are out of service and being repaired by ATC. 

There are currently approximately 3,000 customers without service in Lake Geneva and adjacent towns served from the City’s three substations. The majority of those out of power are on the City’s north side. 

Much of the City’s damage is related to downed limbs and trees, and there should be considerable progress restoring power over the next 24 hours. For those in areas with transmission lines down power restoration may take as long as three to four days. 

Walworth County is in the process of activating a call collection number to assist residents with access to resources and to help identify unmet needs. In addition, coordinated public information is being developed, including social media messaging with links to available resources and recovery guidance. 

We are also working closely with Walworth County to regionalize resource allocation, including potential water distribution sites, Red Cross registration and support services, to ensure a coordinated and efficient response across jurisdictions. 

We are working in partnership with Walworth County to direct volunteers and donation offers into an organized system for the efficient collection, tracking and distribution of resources.

City tree work will resume on Monday, July 6 with the continuation of storm damage work and the start of brush clearing. Brush collection and cleanup is expected to take several weeks so please be patient as we work through the City. 

The City appreciates everyone’s patience and cooperation throughout the community as we continue our recovery process. We currently anticipate giving another update on Monday, July 6 and following every 24 hours unless there are major changes.