A tornado that touched down in northeastern Wisconsin Monday remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes as it destroyed homes and businesses, tossed vehicles and knocked out power to more than 30,000 homes in Winnebago and Outagamie counties, according to a report by the Associated Press.
While the damage assessment is in its early stages, there have been no reports of deaths or missing people caused by the storm that swept through the Fox Cities region, which includes Appleton, Menasha and Neenah.
Local 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 serious condition.
On Tuesday morning, more than 15,000 customers were still without power, and it could take several days before power is restored.
“All indications are that this was a devastating system that has caused extensive damage,” said Tom Nelson, the Outagamie County executive.
On Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency for communities affected by the storm.
