Communities across Wisconsin's Fox Valley are beginning the recovery process after a powerful tornado tore through Appleton, Menasha and Neenah on Monday, 27 July, damaging homes and businesses, toppling power lines and leaving thousands of residents without electricity. The National Weather Service (NWS) said preliminary storm surveys indicate the tornado caused EF-3 damage in the Appleton and Menasha areas, upgrading an earlier local assessment that suggested an EF-2 tornado. Initial survey findings indicate the Appleton-Menasha tornado reached EF-3 intensity on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which measures tornado strength based on the damage left behind. Homes Damaged and Roads BlockedLocal officials reported extensive damage across parts of Appleton, Menasha and Neenah. Residents were encouraged to prepare for prolonged outages where necessary and monitor updates from their local utility providers.