State of emergency declared in Wisconsin following destructive tornado
The EF3 tornado ripped through Outagamie and Winnebago Counties.
The governor of Wisconsin declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, a day after a destructive tornado ripped through parts of the state, damaging or destroying numerous homes and toppling trees and power lines.
Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order Tuesday, saying the tornado that touched down on Monday caused "widespread and significant damage" to the communities of Appleton and Menasha in the Fox Cities area of east-central Wisconsin.
At least three other tornadoes were reported on Monday in Wisconsin and Illinois, but have yet to be confirmed by the National Weather Service (NWS).
The National Weather Service (NWS) assigned the tornado a preliminary rating of EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with estimated peak winds of up to 140 mph.
"We are continuing to assess the devastation and destruction Wisconsin is seeing, especially in the Fox Cities, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help every family, business, and community affected recover," Evers said in his declaration statement, adding that the emergency declaration will ensure every available resource is deployed "so we can respond quickly to the needs on the ground."
The most destructive tornado, confirmed by the NWS, touched down at about 11:56 a.m. CT 2 miles west-northwest of Appleton in Outagamie County southwest of Green Bay. The tornado was on the ground for about 12 miles and reached a width of more than three-quarters of a mile at times as it moved through the cities of Neenah and Oshkosh, in Winnebago County.
The funnel cloud dissipated over Lake Winnebago around 12:22 p.m. CT.
Along with high winds, hail and power outages to tens of thousands of clients, Evers said the tornado caused disruptions to the public water systems in the affected areas.
Storm damage surveys continued in the area on Tuesday, but numerous homes appeared to have been damaged or destroyed by the twister in Menasha, a city about 7 miles southeast of Appleton.
According to the NWS, there are currently no injuries or fatalities associated with the tornado.
According to initial reports from Outagamie County officials, there were numerous trees damaged in the area, along with fallen branches and a few downed trees clogging streets.
A power outage was affecting more than 400,000 utility customers in Wisconsin and Illinois on Monday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. That number had decreased to just under 248,000 by Tuesday morning.
The city of Menasha said in a statement that its police, fire and public works departments were "actively responding to significant storm damage" through the city.
"Please do not travel into Menasha at this time unless it is an emergency," the city's statement said. "Traffic congestion, downed trees, power lines, debris, and blocked roadways are preventing emergency responders and utility crews from reaching affected areas."
The tornadoes hit as a line of severe thunderstorms swept across eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois on Monday afternoon. Severe thunderstorms capable of producing very large hail were reported in Milwaukee before hitting the Chicago metropolitan area.
A flash flood warning also was issued on Monday afternoon for the Chicago area.
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