First responders searched homes and buildings on Tuesday for possible victims, a day after a powerful tornado touched down in northeastern Wisconsin, hollowing out homes and toppling power lines as it remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes.
The Fox Cities region, which is home to more than 100,000 people in the cities of Appleton, Menasha and Neenah, was left in shambles by Monday’s twister, with homes leveled, cars flipped, and power lines and trees toppled.
Despite widespread damage, the timing of the storm could be why there have been no reported deaths. The tornado arrived in the early afternoon, authorities noted, when most people were awake and after warnings had been issued.
“Everybody was at work. It was the middle of the day,” Menasha Police Chief Matt Albrecht said. “Most people were not at home and at their place of employment.”
Dozens of people were injured, and officers were still going door-to-door a day later in search of possible victims.
David Chew, 55, said a tree smashed through his roof in Menasha, and he still hadn’t located an outdoor patio lounger swept away by the storm. But he’s better off than a neighbor: A portion of her roof was ripped clean, with furniture and drywall “sucked out.”
PHOTOS: Powerful tornado leaves widespread damage in Wisconsin but time of day may have saved lives
“It was just a shocker,” said Chew, who had rushed to the basement with his wife and son.
The tornado touched down around 1 p.m. and remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes, cutting a roughly 12-mile path of destruction, the National Weather Service reported. The area is about 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
It was classified as an EF3 tornado – the strongest to strike Outagamie and Winnebago counties since an EF4 touched down in April 1984, the weather service said.
“The depth of the tornado and its impact is incredible, devastating. We’re really still at the assessment stage,” Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz said at a news conference Tuesday.
A relatively powerful twister
Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency for the affected areas. Shelters were opened for displaced residents.
As chain saws roared in the background, Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford said a number of neighborhoods were “truly devastated.” Like elsewhere in the region, electricity lines were tangled around broken trees, making power restoration a slow, risky process.
More than 10,000 customers in Winnebago and Outagamie counties were still without power, according to utilities that serve them. It could be several days before power is fully restored.
The twister was spun off by a large storm system that moved through the Great Lakes and was fueled by a buildup of heat and humidity, the weather service said.
“What we are seeing this summer is significant heat leading to significant severe weather,” said Chad Merrill, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. “We had an EF3 tornado in Wisconsin. People need to take these warnings seriously. It can happen just about anywhere.”
Residents describe terrifying moments
ThedaCare Regional Medical Centers in Appleton and Neenah said it treated 40 people, mostly for minor storm-related injuries. Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton said it saw about 30 patients, all with minor injuries.
Rachel Bernhardt, 56, said she grabbed her dog and dashed to her basement in the village of Fox Crossing after she saw a steel swing spinning in the yard. When the storm passed, her second-floor bedroom was covered in glass and a tree branch was resting on her bed. The carpet was soaked.
“We can’t be in there anymore,” said Bernhardt, who is sleeping on the first floor and using a generator to keep the refrigerator going. “In fact, I’m going to caution-tape that off.”
At Manderfield’s Home Bakery, a decades-old landmark in Menasha, the brick frame around the door still stood, but not much more.
“This can be replaced,” owner Jerry Manderfield told WISN-TV. “We had people in the building that could possibly have died in there.”
Luigi’s Pizza in Menasha set up a food trailer to distribute hygiene packs and free slices after donors kicked in enough money to make at least 125 pizzas Tuesday.
“Sometimes a hot pizza, a taco, and a reminder that your community cares can mean more than words,” said Duncan’s Window & Door, which chipped in for 50 pizzas.
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Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut, White reported from Detroit, and Turbay reported from Little Rock, Arkansas; Associated Press reporters Christopher Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this story.
