Fox Cities tornado comes in officially at just over a mile wide – 68 reported injured

The National Weather Service has updated its damage survey of the powerful EF-3 tornado that tore through the Fox Cities last Monday, July 27, 2026, refining both the storm’s path and overall size.

The updated survey shows the tornado path being just under 12 1/2 miles long—slightly longer than the original estimate of 12 and 1/10th miles—and expanded its maximum width to 1,800 yards, or just over one mile. This places it as the second widest tornado recorded in Wisconsin, behind only a 2008 tornado in Columbia County, which was two miles wide, but not as strong.

Peak winds of Monday’s tornado were estimated at 140 miles per hour. The tornado touched down at 11:56 a.m., remained on the ground for 26 minutes, and lifted while over Lake Winnebago at 12:22 p.m.

The National Weather Service says small areas near the Highway 441 and Highway 10 interchange, as well as portions of downtown Menasha, were identified as having damage consistent with EF-3 strength, surrounded by EF-1 and EF-2 damage.

Sixty-eight people were injured, with officials saying the timing of the tornado likely prevented a far worse outcome, noting with the tornado happening just before noon, many residents were at work when the tornado arrived.

This was the fourth EF-3 tornado to strike the state this year, making this the most EF-3 or stronger tornadoes Wisconsin has experienced in a single year since 1980.