EF-3 Tornado Ravages Menasha, Appleton and Neenah; Cleanup Begins

The National Weather Service classified a tornado that moved through Menasha, Appleton and Neenah on Monday morning as an EF-3, with wind speeds of about 140 mph. The funnel, roughly 1,500 yards wide, traveled 12.1 miles, toppling trees, snapping power lines and destroying homes and businesses.

Local authorities are conducting damage assessments and have imposed a curfew in Menasha from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to facilitate emergency response. Residents are urged to avoid downed power lines, respect barricades and limit non-essential travel.

Utility crews have restored power to more than 19,000 Wisconsin Public Service customers and 79,000 We Energies customers statewide, but extensive damage to poles and lines means full restoration will take time. Three emergency shelters are operating in the area, including locations at Christ the Rock Church, the Elks Lodge and Calvary Bible Church.

Winnebago County officials reported no fatalities as of Monday evening, while Outagamie County executive Tom Nelson noted that a portion of Appleton remains inaccessible. County executive Gordon Hintz described the damage as severe and said recovery will be a long process.

Volunteer groups are coordinating assistance, and donation sites have been set up at the former UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus for food, water and other supplies.