Strong tornado hits parts of Wisconsin, uproots trees, destroys homes; over 30,000 left without power: Details | Today’s news
A tornado hit parts of northeastern Wisconsin on Monday (local time), darkening daytime skies as workers took shelter in office basements. The storm tore homes apart, dumped broken metal on the highway, and left over 30,000 people without power.
Here’s what we know
The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado touched down in Outagamie County, south of Appleton and southwest of Green Bay, before moving through the towns of Neenah and Oshkosh in Winnebago County. National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Berschback said the tornado developed from a large storm system that swept across the Great Lakes, fueled by a buildup of heat and moisture.
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Citing Gordon Hintz, Winnebago County’s top elected official, the Associated Press reported that no casualties or injuries had been reported as of Monday evening; however, emergency officials were still searching. He also added that the power outage may take several days to be restored in the affected areas.
Damage reported in several cities
Damage was reported in towns including Appleton and Menasha, where Police Chief Matt Albrecht noted that some homes and businesses were “severely impacted.”
In Appleton, images shared on social media showed extensive damage. Images showed houses stripped of their roofs, a car thrown onto the lawn and streets littered with tree branches. The Appleton Police Department noted that they are aware of “several downed trees and large tree limbs throughout the city.” Traffic signals were down and some roads were “heavily backed up”.
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In one neighborhood in Menasha, blocks from the shores of Lake Winnebago, the twister tore roofs off homes and overturned vehicles, with videos showing a trail of destruction where some homes were reduced to exterior walls.
“Extensive and severe damage” was also reported in the towns of Menasha and Fox Crossing, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said. In addition, the local power company said the town of Menasha, which has a population of about 18,000, was without power while officials opened an emergency shelter at a church.
The agency also received several reports of damage in southern Outagamie County and eastern Winnebago County, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Holley Kamba. Kamba said: “We are getting reports of damage as a lot of trees are down, power lines down,” adding: “We were looking for some pictures of structural damage.”
A tornado warning has been issued for Green Bay
At 11:59 a.m., National Weather Service officials in Green Bay issued a tornado warning for the Fox Cities region, including Appleton, Menasha and Neenah. Forecasters warned of flying and dangerous debris, damage to mobile homes, vehicles and trees and advised people to seek shelter.
According to the report, officials had previously issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area for about 45 minutes, with forecasters saying the storm was capable of producing winds of up to 97 km/h.
Wisconsin’s governor issued a statement
In a post on X, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers wrote: “I have been informed of the storms moving through Wisconsin. The state is ready to help communities as much as we can. I also want to thank the first responders who are hitting the ground to help.”
The tornado struck as a series of severe thunderstorms swept across eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois Monday afternoon. The storm system moved across Milwaukee before reaching the Chicago metropolitan area.
