Samaritan's Purse volunteers assist Wisconsin tornado victims

An EF‑3 tornado struck the Appleton area of Wisconsin on Monday, causing extensive damage to homes, uprooting trees and leaving thousands without power. Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency for the counties of Forest, Outagamie, Vilas and Winnebago.

The North Carolina‑based evangelical humanitarian group Samaritan's Purse deployed a disaster‑relief unit and set up its operations at Alliance Church in Appleton. Hundreds of volunteers arrived to help affected communities, including retired Navy veteran Don Wilson, whose house lost a side, and a woman, Carla Williamson, who was trapped in her basement for several hours. Samaritan's Purse Vice President of North American Disaster Relief Jason Kimak described the volunteers' work as providing essential supplies, cleanup assistance and emotional support to families across Menasha, Neenah and surrounding areas.