MADISON, Wis. (AP) 鈥� 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鈥檚 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 鈥渟everely impacted.鈥�
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鈥檛 clear if the person had survived. Cars were turned upside-down, and there was a gas leak at the laundromat, she said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing left,鈥� 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.
鈥淭he word we all were using was 鈥榦minous,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like, 鈥榃hoa, look at that.鈥� … You looked outside and you thought it was three in the morning, it was that dark.鈥�
No reports of deaths or injuries, but searches continue
Hintz said he鈥檚 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.
鈥淥bviously when you look at the damage, Mother Nature doesn鈥檛 really care,鈥� he said.
Weather service meteorologist Holley Kamba said the agency was receiving reports of damage in southern Outagamie County and eastern Winnebago County,
鈥淲e have been receiving calls of damage with a lot of trees down, power lines down,鈥� Kamba said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been searching for some pictures of the structural damage.鈥�
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said the state 鈥渋s ready to assist communities however we can.鈥�
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 that it was aware of 鈥渟everal downed trees and large tree limbs throughout the city.” Traffic signals were out and some roads were 鈥渉eavily backed up,鈥� 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 鈥渆xtensive and severe damage鈥� in Menasha and Fox Crossing.
鈥淎ll indications are that this was a devastating system that has caused extensive damage,鈥� 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.
鈥淎t this point, we are unaware, unsure of how bad the damage is because many roads in those same areas are impassable,鈥� Albrecht said, adding emergency crews were seeking to enter the affected area to 鈥渓ook for injuries, look for victims鈥� and clear the roads.
He urged people to stay away from the hard-hit areas: 鈥淩ight now, there are many downed power lines, downed trees, multiple hazardous situations. Please stay out.鈥�
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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