Wisconsin tornado devastates Appleton, Menasha, knocks out power
A tornado touched down near Appleton and Menasha, Wisconsin, on July 27, 2026, at about 12:01 p.m. CDT. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado by radar, issued a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado warning, and reported the storm moving southeast at roughly 30‑40 mph with hail up to two inches in diameter.
The twister caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and vehicles, downed trees and power lines, and left more than 30,000 customers without electricity across Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet and neighboring counties. Officials, including Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson and Winnebago County’s Gordon Hintz, said no injuries or fatalities were confirmed and emergency responders were assessing damage and addressing hazards. Residents were urged to stay indoors, avoid downed power lines and seek shelter while authorities opened shelters for displaced people.
Entities: Appleton, Wisconsin · Gordon Hintz · Menasha, Wisconsin · National Weather Service · Outagamie County · Reed Timmer · Tom Nelson · We Energies
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Emergency responders were assessing damage and addressing hazards. (official_statement)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The National Weather Service issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado warning for Appleton and Menasha. (official_statement)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The tornado moved southeast at about 30‑40 mph. (official_statement)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Storm chaser Reed Timmer captured video of the tornado. (Reed Timmer's social media post)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Hail up to two inches in diameter was reported. (official_statement)
- [● 4 SOURCES] A tornado touched down in Appletown, Wisconsin at about 12:01 p.m. CDT on Monday. (National Weather Service)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] No official Enhanced Fujita scale rating was available in the hours after the storm. (National Weather Service (no rating released))
- [● 4 SOURCES] More than 20,000 customers lost power in Outagamie County and over 12,000 in Winnebago County. (official_statement)
- [● 4 SOURCES] No injuries or fatalities were confirmed in the immediate aftermath. (official_statement)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The tornado caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and vehicles in Appleton and Menasha. (official_statement)
- [● 4 SOURCES] A tornado touched down near Appleton, Wisconsin at about 12:01 p.m. CDT on July 27, 2026. (clm_bdede01a-5de6-453f-b7df-68fa008d4df6)