Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order Tuesday declaring a state of emergency across four eastern Wisconsin counties after a tornado tore through the Fox Cities region a day earlier.
The storm caused widespread destruction to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.
He added that the declaration would ensure resources are deployed quickly and thanked first responders and volunteers, saying “Together, we will recover and recover stronger”.
The twister reached a maximum width of 1,500 yards, or about 0.85 miles, with winds nearing 140 mph, and the National Weather Service’s Green Bay office confirmed the damage was consistent with an EF-3 rating.
“The tornado snapped and uprooted numerous trees and produced damage to several area homes and businesses along its path,” the report stated, adding that “the worst damage occurred in the Fox Crossing and Menasha areas, where several businesses were heavily damaged near Highway 10 and a house destroyed in Menasha.”
Local Response and Outages
Menasha Mayor Austin Hammond declared a local state of disaster effective Monday after the tornado struck around 12:20 p.m., and neighboring Neenah also declared a local emergency citing structural damage, utility outages and blocked roads.
Menasha Police Chief Matthew Albrecht said emergency crews initially struggled to reach some neighborhoods because debris blocked roads.
“At this point, we are unaware, unsure of how bad the damage is because many roads in those same areas are impassable,” Albrecht said.
He urged residents to steer clear of hazards, saying, “Right now, there are many downed power lines, downed trees, and multiple hazardous situations. Please stay out”.
