Tornado that carved a path of destruction in Wisconsin stayed on the ground for more than 20 minutes

First responders searched homes and buildings on Tuesday for possible victims, a day after a powerful tornado touched down in northeastern Wisconsin, hollowing out homes and toppling power lines as it remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes. The Fox Cities region, which is home to more than 100,000 people in the cities of Appleton, Menasha and Neenah, was left in shambles by Monday's twister, with homes leveled, cars flipped, and power lines and trees toppled. Despite widespread damage, the timing of the storm could be why there have been no reported deaths. The tornado arrived in the early afternoon, authorities noted, when most people were awake and after warnings had been issued. “Everybody was at work.

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Scoop News DeskWisconsin · Published Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 9:58 PM UTCUpdated Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 1:34 AM UTC

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The carpet was soaked. “We can’t be in there anymore,” said Bernhardt, who is sleeping on the first floor and using a generator to keep the refrigerator going. “In fact, I’m going to caution-tape that off.” At Manderfield’s Home Bakery, a decades-old landmark in Menasha, the brick frame around the door still stood, but not much more. “This can be replaced,” owner Jerry Manderfield told WISN-TV. “We had people in the building that could possibly have died in there.” Luigi’s Pizza in Menasha set up a food trailer to distribute hygiene packs and free slices after donors kicked in enough money to make at least 125 pizzas Tuesday. “Sometimes a hot pizza, a taco, and a reminder that your community cares can mean more than words,” said Duncan’s Window & Door, which chipped in for 50 pizzas.

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