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Clean-up in Appleton after EF-1 tornado

Posted at 11:21 PM, Jun 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-16 00:21:18-04

According to the National Weather Service an E-F-1 tornado touched down in parts of the city of Appleton Wednesday, traveling nearly ninety-five miles per hour.

 

Winds burst through Appleton splitting trees in two, taking out power lines, leaving debris, and targeting a neighborhood and shopping center on College Ave. near I-41.

 

"All of a sudden it got really dark and it went 'whoooo'," said Ray Beyer a home owner by College Ave. “That's all I heard.”

 

Beyer said he just came back from an appointment at the V.A. 

 

"I grab my dog and it took me 30 seconds to get down in the basement and I thought the whole roof was going to come in," Ray Beyer said.

 

A company was needed to take away the broken and fallen tree branches.  Beyer called the company Thursday morning.  He said he was not prepared for the storm and the service and repairs would probably cost over $1,000.

 

The tornado ripped through parts of Appleton, likely pulling the siding from this warehouse, leaving insulation all over the ground.

 

Crews said they arrived early in the morning to the warehouse site and most of the damage is to the outside.

 

Businesses in a nearby shopping center were also cleaning-up Thursday. 

 

"It was just amazing how quickly it came on us and really we had to act fast end it was pretty scary," said Randy Lutz, Thedacare Operations manager. 

 

Thedacare's at-home clinic in Appleton was hit hard, so heavily damaged forcing the facility to close and send workers to other locations.

 

Lutz said the storm damaged the roof, inside tiles, and caused a gas leak.  They're estimating more than $10,000 in damage.