‘Extremely dangerous’ tornado rips roofs off homes and knocks out power for thousands in northeast Wisconsin
Extremely Dangerous Tornado Rips Roofs in Wisconsin
Earthguardiansonline.com – An extremely dangerous tornado carved a path of destruction through Menasha and Appleton, Wisconsin, on Monday afternoon with minimal advance warning. The storm damaged homes, uprooted trees, and knocked out power to thousands of residents. ⛈️ Track the storms in the CNN Weather app
The tornado had estimated peak winds of 140 mph and received a preliminary EF3 rating from the National Weather Service, citing its damage survey and drone video. Tornadoes were not expected to be a significant threat to the area on Monday.
Tornado Strikes Without Warning
A severe thunderstorm warning mentioning damaging winds was issued at 11:13 a.m., but the possibility of a tornado wasn’t mentioned until an update at 11:21 a.m. This means there was no tornado warning in advance of the extremely dangerous tornado itself, according to a CNN analysis. The NWS issued the first tornado warning for Appleton and Menasha at 11:59 a.m. CT Monday, approximately three minutes after the tornado first touched down.
The NWS described the extremely dangerous tornado as such and issued a particularly dangerous situation tornado warning — the second-highest level warning — shortly after 12 p.m. CT. After hitting Menasha, the tornado moved over Lake Winnebago and dissipated over water.
It was observed for at least 20 minutes from near Appleton to the northern coast of the lake. Homes in Appleton were completely destroyed with roofs ripped off, and trees uprooted and split, drone footage showed. A local state of disaster was declared in Menasha as first responders from local agencies worked to assess the damage and rescue anyone needing assistance.
Aftermath and Recovery Efforts
The nearby city of Neenah also declared a state of emergency due to “structural damage to buildings, downed trees and power lines, disruptions to utility service, and impacts to roadways.” The Menasha Police Department has issued a city-wide curfew from 10:00 p.m. through 5:00 a.m., “until further notice.” A boil water order was also issued for the community.
“We are aware of severe damage in broad areas. We are asking the public to stay indoors, watch out for downed power lines, do not drive around road closures, and do not drive around the area unless absolutely necessary,” the Menasha Police Department posted on Facebook Monday afternoon.
The entire city of Menasha may be without power “for days” due to the extent of damage across the city and downed transmission lines, according to a post from Menasha Utilities, a municipally owned company. More than 7,000 customers remain without power in Winnebago and Calumet counties, where Menasha is located, as of Tuesday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. More than 8,800 customers are without power in neighboring Outagamie County, where Appleton is primarily located.
FAQ: What to Know About the Wisconsin Tornado
When did the tornado hit Wisconsin? The tornado touched down on Monday afternoon, with the first tornado warning issued at 11:59 a.m. CT.
What rating did the tornado receive? The extremely dangerous tornado received a preliminary EF3 rating with peak winds of 140 mph.
How many people lost power? More than 15,800 customers across Winnebago, Calumet, and Outagamie counties remain without power as of Tuesday morning.
Are there curfews in place? Yes, Menasha has issued a city-wide curfew from 10:00 p.m. through 5:00 a.m. until further notice.
CNN has reached out to authorities for more information. Earlier on Monday, a 29-year-old man was killed in Whitewater, Wisconsin, from a suspected lightning strike as storms moved across the area, according to a news release from Whitewater Fire and EMS. The man was part of a tree trimming crew for an area energy utility.
More than 300,000 customers remain without power in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana after severe thunderstorms with damaging winds tracked across the entire region. This story has been updated with additional information. CNN’s Sharif Paget and Ritu Prasad contributed to this report.
