Wisconsin tornado causes extensive damage and cuts power to thousands

A telephone pole hangs above a road littered with debris from a severe storm in Menasha, Wisconsin. Photograph: Douglas Tom Williams/AP View image in fullscreen A telephone pole hangs above a road littered with debris from a severe storm in Menasha, Wisconsin. Photograph: Douglas Tom Williams/AP Wisconsin tornado causes extensive damage and cuts power to thousands Tornado that blackened midday sky rips roofs off homes and flips vehicles in town of Menasha A tornado struck north-eastern Wisconsin on Monday, blackening the midday sky and sending workers sheltering in office basements as ferocious winds splintered homes, scattered twisted metal across a highway and knocked out power to more than 30,000 people. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Winnebago county, about 90 miles (145km) north-west of Milwaukee. Damage was reported in cities including Appleton and Menasha, where police chief Matt Albrecht said some homes and businesses were “severely impacted”. The tornado ripped roofs off homes and flipped vehicles 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. “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 wasn’t aware of any fatalities or injuries, but emergency officials were still searching. “Obviously, the footage looks devastating,” Hintz said. “Clearly some significant damage done with power lines down and things like that.” Hintz said he’s heard multiple reports of buildings that were completely 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. National Weather Service meteorologist Holley Kamba said the agency was receiving reports of damage in southern Outagamie county and eastern Winnebago county, “We have been receiving calls of damage with a lot of trees down, power lines down,” Kamba said. “We’ve been searching for some pictures of the structural damage.” So far, there have been no reports of injuries, she said. Wisconsin governor Tony Evers said the state “is ready to assist communities however we can”. The twister was over Lake Winnebago and moving southward toward Fond du Lac county at about 12.25pm, the National Weather Service said. NWS meteorologists in Green Bay issued a tornado warning for the Fox Cities region, which includes Appleton, Menasha and Neenah, at 11.59am. “Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely,” the alert said. The area had already be