Updated
Updated · Fox11online.com · Jul 28
NWS Confirms 140-mph EF-3 Tornado Hit Menasha as Fox Valley Starts Cleanup
Updated
Updated · Fox11online.com · Jul 28

NWS Confirms 140-mph EF-3 Tornado Hit Menasha as Fox Valley Starts Cleanup

3 articles · Updated · Fox11online.com · Jul 28

Summary

  • A 1,500-yard-wide tornado that traveled 12.1 miles was confirmed Tuesday as an EF-3 in Menasha after tearing through Appleton, Neenah and Menasha, destroying homes and businesses and leaving streets blocked by downed lines.
  • Thousands remained without power as cleanup began; utilities said more than 19,000 Wisconsin Public Service customers and 79,000 We Energies customers statewide had already been restored, but extensive pole and line damage will slow full recovery.
  • Menasha imposed a 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew until further notice, while three emergency shelters opened and officials urged residents to avoid damaged areas, barricades and all downed utility lines.
  • Winnebago County reported no fatalities as of Monday evening, though earlier reports said dozens were injured; local officials said parts of Appleton were still inaccessible and warned recovery in hard-hit neighborhoods could take weeks.

Insights

As heat domes fuel explosive storms, will major East Coast cities face catastrophic gridlock and power failures this week?
With a devastating 350-mile derecho fresh in memory, can the Midwest survive another brutal wave of 85-mph winds and tornadoes?
Are our airports and power grids utterly defenseless against the volatile collision of extreme heat and violent thunderstorms?