Wisconsin tornado causes extensive damage and cuts power to thousands of
homes
[July 28, 2026]
By SCOTT BAUER, CYBELE MAYES-OSTERMAN and JOHN SEEWER
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A tornado struck northeastern Wisconsin on Monday,
blackening the midday sky and sending workers sheltering in office
basements as fierce winds splintered homes, scattered twisted metal
across a highway and knocked out power to more than 30,000 people.
There were no reports of fatalities or injuries as of Monday evening,
but emergency officials were still searching, said Gordon Hintz,
Winnebago County’s top elected official.
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Winnebago County,
about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee. Damage was
reported in cities including Appleton and Menasha, where Police Chief
Matt Albrecht said some homes and businesses were “severely impacted.”
The twister was spun off by a large storm system that moved through the
Great Lakes, fueled by a buildup of heat and humidity, National Weather
Service meteorologist Scott Berschback said.
Hintz said it could be several days before power in the stricken area is
restored.
Heather Schroeder said she heard cracking and popping all around her as
the tornado tore apart a laundromat, a bakery and a neighborhood tavern
that were clustered around a street corner in Menasha, about 30 miles
(50 kilometers) south of Green Bay.
Rescue workers pulled someone out of one of the buildings, said
Schroeder, who works nearby. She said it wasn’t clear if the person had
survived. Cars were turned upside-down, and there was a gas leak at the
laundromat, she said.
“There’s nothing left,” Schroeder said.
The twister ripped roofs off homes and flipped vehicles in one
neighborhood in Menasha, just blocks from the shores of Lake Winnebago.
Video showed a trail of destruction, with some homes reduced to their
outer walls.
Greg Van Driest was working in downtown Appleton when the sky got as
dark as night.
“The word we all were using was ‘ominous,’” he said. “It’s like, ‘Whoa,
look at that.’ ... You looked outside and you thought it was three in
the morning, it was that dark.”
No reports of deaths or injuries, but searches continue
Hintz said he’s received multiple reports of buildings destroyed and
vehicles overturned. All storm warnings that could be made ahead of time
to get people to safety were activated, he said.
“Obviously when you look at the damage, Mother Nature doesn’t really
care,” he said.
Weather service meteorologist Holley Kamba said the agency was receiving
reports of damage in southern Outagamie County and eastern Winnebago
County,
“We have been receiving calls of damage with a lot of trees down, power
lines down,” Kamba said. “We’ve been searching for some pictures of the
structural damage.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said the state “is ready to assist communities
however we can.”
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People walk among debris after a tornado struck Monday, July 27,
2026, in Menasha, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Weather service meteorologists in Green Bay issued a tornado warning
at 11:59 a.m. for the Fox Cities region, which includes Appleton,
Menasha and Neenah. It warned of flying and dangerous debris, damage
to mobile homes, vehicles and trees, while warning people to seek
shelter.
The area had already been under a severe thunderstorm warning for
about 45 minutes, and meteorologists indicated the storm was capable
of producing winds up to 60 mph (97 kph).
Extensive damage and an entire city without power
Images on social media showed extensive damage in Appleton,
including homes stripped of roofs, a car tossed onto a lawn, and
streets littered with tree limbs.
The Appleton Police Department said on social media that it was
aware of “several downed trees and large tree limbs throughout the
city." Traffic signals were out and some roads were “heavily backed
up,” the department said.
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said he didn't have any
confirmation of fatalities or injuries in the county, which includes
Appleton. But he said there was “extensive and severe damage” in
Menasha and Fox Crossing.
“All indications are that this was a devastating system that has
caused extensive damage,” Nelson said.
In Menasha, the electric utility said the entire city of about
18,000 people was believed without power. Authorities were opening a
shelter at a church.
The storm hit Menasha and the east side of neighboring Fox Crossing
at around 12:20 p.m., Albrecht said.
“At this point, we are unaware, unsure of how bad the damage is
because many roads in those same areas are impassable,” Albrecht
said, adding emergency crews were seeking to enter the affected area
to “look for injuries, look for victims” and clear the roads.
He urged people to stay away from the hard-hit areas: “Right now,
there are many downed power lines, downed trees, multiple hazardous
situations. Please stay out.”
Later Monday the storm was clearing out of Wisconsin and moving
south of Milwaukee through the Chicago area as it began to
dissipate, he said.
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Mayes-Osterman reported from Chicago and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio.
Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Laura Turbay in
Little Rock, Arkansas; Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi; Hannah
Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; and Michael R. Sisak in New York
contributed to this report.
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