A powerful tornado tore through Wisconsin on Monday, leaving a trail of splintered homes, downed trees, and widespread power outages affecting thousands.
The National Weather Service confirmed the twister’s presence in Winnebago County, approximately 90 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
Visuals from the aftermath depicted twisted metal and wood debris strewn across highways, forcing cars to navigate around the wreckage.
A warehouse sustained significant damage, while social media images from Appleton revealed homes stripped of roofs and siding, overturned vehicles, and streets choked with tree limbs.
Greg Van Driest, working in downtown Appleton, described the sky turning “ominous” and “dark as night.”
He recounted, “The word we all were using was ‘ominous,’” adding, “It’s like, ‘Whoa, look at that.’ … You looked outside and you thought it was three in the morning; it was that dark.”
Holley Kamba, a meteorologist with the NWS, reported numerous calls detailing damage, including fallen trees and power lines across southern Outagamie and eastern Winnebago counties.
She noted, “We have been receiving calls of damage with a lot of trees down, power lines down,” and confirmed, “We’ve been searching for some pictures of the structural damage.”
Crucially, no injuries had been reported at that time. The NWS tracked the tornado moving over Lake Winnebago, heading south toward Fond du Lac County.
The NWS had issued a “destructive, severe” thunderstorm warning for the affected region.
The Appleton Police Department acknowledged “several downed trees and large tree limbs throughout the city,” with traffic signals out and roads “heavily backed up.”
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson stated that while no fatalities or injuries were confirmed in the county, including Appleton, there was “extensive and severe damage” in Menasha and Fox Crossing, with reports of collapsed buildings.
Nelson emphasized, “All indications are that this was a devastating system that has caused extensive damage.” He urged residents to avoid travel, advising, “Stay put if possible,” and to “Check on loved ones and neighbors.”
In Menasha, the electric utility reported that the entire city of approximately 18,000 residents was without power due to a downed transmission line.
A shelter was being opened at a local church for those displaced or seeking temporary safety. The Menasha Police Department echoed warnings on Facebook, stating, “We are aware of severe damage in broad areas,” and urged 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 National Weather Service predicted severe weather, including winds exceeding 60 mph, hail, and the potential for isolated, brief tornadoes, to persist across east central and southeastern Wisconsin through Monday afternoon.
