Tornado that carved a path of destruction in Wisconsin stayed on the ground for more than 20 minutes

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A tornado that touched down in northeastern Wisconsin and remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes hollowed out homes, tossed around cars and toppled power lines as it left the area a splintered mess.

There have been no reports of deaths or missing people caused by the twister that carved a path of destruction Monday through the Fox Cities region, which includes Appleton, Menasha and Neenah, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee. Authorities haven’t said how many people were injured, though at least one witness described seeing someone being pulled from a destroyed building who appeared to be in rough shape.

The tornado, which touched down early Monday afternoon and was preceded by warnings to take cover, remained on the ground for about 12 miles (19 kilometers), the National Weather Service said Tuesday. It was nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) across at its widest.

It tore the roofs from some homes and businesses, flipped vehicles, sheered off tree tops and knocked down utility poles, leaving more than 15,000 customers still without power Tuesday in Winnebago and Outagamie counties, according to PowerOutage.us. It could be several days before power is restored.

Shelters were opened for displaced residents. A boil water advisory was issued for part of a water system in Fox Crossing that lost pressure.

“All indications are that this was a devastating system that has caused extensive damage,” said Tom Nelson, the Outagamie County executive.

It was a relatively powerful twister

The twister was spun off by a large storm system that moved through the Great Lakes, fueled by a buildup of heat and humidity, the weather service said.

Weather service officials were assessing the damage Tuesday, said Roy Eckberg, an agency meteorologist.

“To get that kind of tornado is pretty rare in northeast Wisconsin, but they do happen from time to time,” he said, adding that it was unusual that the twister moved southward instead of to the east or northeast.

Preliminary data indicates it was an EF3, meaning it packed winds of 136-165 mph (219-266 kph), the weather service said.

Residents describe terrifying moments as tornado barreled through

Heather Schroeder said she heard cracking and popping all around her as the twister tore apart a laundromat, bakery and tavern along a street corner in Menasha.

Rescue workers pulled someone out of one of the buildings and it wasn’t clear if they had survived, said Schroeder, who works nearby. Cars were turned upside-down, and there was a gas leak at the laundromat, she said.

“There’s nothing left,” Schroeder said.

Aerial video Tuesday showed homes in Menasha without roofs or that had been completely hollowed out.

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.”

Gordon Hintz, Winnebago County’s top elected official, said he 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.

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Mayes-Osterman reported from Chicago and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; 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.