A confirmed tornado struck the Neenah-Menasha area just after noon Monday, causing significant damage, downing trees and power lines, and forcing the closure of a major highway as the storm moved southeast across the Fox Valley.
The National Weather Service in Green Bay issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado warning shortly before noon after radar confirmed a tornado west of Appleton. The storm, described as extremely dangerous, was moving southeast at about 40 mph with reported winds of 124 mph. The tornado passed over Menasha before moving over Lake Winnebago.
Photographs and video of the destruction circulated widely on X. Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin posted images of storm damage in Menasha:
Highway 10/441 was closed in both directions through Menasha from Highway 47 to Interstate 41 due to debris. Viewer videos and news crews documented debris on the roadway at Midway and numerous trees down across Menasha, Neenah, and Doty Island.
Video of residential damage in Menasha was shared, documenting the path of the storm:
We Energies reported more than 20,000 customers without power in Appleton alone. Outagamie County accounted for more than 22,000 of nearly 70,000 We Energies outages across the region. Menasha Utilities indicated the entire city may be without power. Police advised motorists that some intersections lacked working traffic lights and should be treated as four-way stops.
LiveCamChaser posted footage from a Neenah live camera showing post-storm conditions:
The Menasha Police Department, joined by Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue and the Department of Public Works, said at 12:32 p.m. they were actively responding to impacted areas. Officials urged residents to stay away from damaged zones unless necessary, avoid downed power lines, and treat all utility lines as energized.
Appleton activated its Emergency Operations Center to respond to reports of downed power lines and tree damage. Prospect Avenue west of Xavier High School was reported impassable, with backups throughout the business park. An emergency shelter was opening in Menasha, according to local reports.
Damage was visible on the 400 block of Baldwin Street in Menasha. A semi-truck was tossed onto a barrier near Menasha after the tornado passed. WeatherNation shared video of a semi tossed onto a barrier:
The National Weather Service Green Bay account (@NWSGreenBay) issued the original warnings and updates throughout the event.
Survey teams from the National Weather Service were expected to assess the damage for an official intensity rating.
