Tornado hits northeastern Wisconsin, prompting disaster declaration and curfew

A tornado ripped through northeastern Wisconsin on Monday, striking Winnebago County just before 1 p.m. local time, according to the National Weather Service. The storm knocked out power to tens of thousands of residents, downed trees, leveled buildings and ripped roofs off homes, prompting Mayor Austin Hammond of Menasha to declare a local state of disaster. The city police department imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday and opened an emergency shelter for displaced residents.

Traffic into Menasha was temporarily halted while crews cleared roadways for emergency vehicles, and drivers were warned not to enter the city limits. Drone footage released by a local NBC affiliate showed extensive damage to homes and commercial structures.

Winnebago County’s top elected official, Gordon Hintz, told the Associated Press that authorities were monitoring the situation for possible injuries or fatalities. > "Obviously, the footage looks devastating," Hintz said, adding that power lines were down and many buildings appeared destroyed.