Destructive tornado touches down near Appleton, Wisconsin, leaving trail of damage

 

A destructive tornado ripped through parts of Wisconsin on Monday afternoon, and images from the affected area showed toppled trees and power lines and damaged buildings.

The tornado, confirmed by the National Weather Service, touched down south of Appleton, Wisconsin, in Outagamie County southwest of Green Bay. The tornado moved through the cities of Neenah and Oshkosh, in Winnebago County.

The National Weather Service says that the tornado damage has been assigned a preliminary rating of EF-2, meaning estimated peak winds of at least 111 mph.

Storm damage surveys will continue on Tuesday in the area.

"I have been briefed on the storms making their way through Wisconsin. The state is ready to assist communities however we can," Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a social media post on Monday afternoon.

The twister was also reported over parts of nearby Lake Winnebago as a waterspout. The tornado has since dissipated. 

According to initial reports from Outagamie County officials, there is numerous tree damage in the area, along with fallen branches and a few downed trees clogging streets.

A power outage was affecting more than 400,000 utility customers in Wisconsin and Illinois on Monday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us.

The city of Menasha, Wisc., said in a statement that its police, fire and public works departments are "actively responding to significant storm damage" through the city

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"Please do not travel into Menasha at this time unless it is an emergency," the city's statement said. "Traffic congestion, downed trees, power lines, debris, and blocked roadways are preventing emergency responders and utility crews from reaching affected areas."