Overview
- A powerful tornado tracked through the Fox Cities region on Monday, July 27, staying on the ground for about 20 minutes as it moved from Appleton south through Menasha and over Lake Winnebago.
- The National Weather Service issued a rare "particularly dangerous situation" tornado warning during the event and completed a preliminary damage survey that rated the twister at least EF-3 with estimated winds in the 136–165 mph range.
- The tornado ripped roofs off homes, hollowed out buildings, flipped vehicles and left debris-clogged streets in Menasha, Appleton, Fox Crossing and Neenah, with gas leaks and downed power poles reported in heavily damaged neighborhoods.
- Widespread utility damage left much of Menasha without power and tens of thousands of customers across Outagamie and Winnebago counties offline, officials warned restorations could take days because of damaged transmission lines.
- Local authorities opened shelters, imposed curfews and boil-water notices, Menasha declared a local State of Disaster, the governor issued a state of emergency, and search-and-rescue and damage assessments are continuing with possible National Guard support.