DOTY ISLAND — The constant buzz of helicopters and roar of chainsaws now fill the air on Doty Island, where residents are beginning the long cleanup after an EF3 tornado tore through Menasha Monday afternoon.
For Michael Brunn, the sounds are a reminder of what was lost.
"I've been in this house 44 years," Brunn said. “One of the reasons I moved here was the lots and lots and lots of trees.”
Watch: 'It'll never be the same': Doty Island neighbors begin cleanup after EF3 tornado
Now, many of those trees are strewn across homes, vehicles, and yards on the northern part of the island in Menasha.
"It looks like a bomb went off," Brunn said. "I'm totally sad."
Just down the street, Susan Skrzypczak surveyed the remains of a home that has been in her family for generations.
"My grandfather built it in 1937," Skrzypczak said. "We've been keeping it in the family. I raised my kids here. My grandparents lived here. My father was raised here."
Now, one side of the home has been ripped away, revealing what was a living room.
"Devastation. It's gone," she said. "It'll never be the same. There won't be trees for many, many years. The community is devastated.”
Neighbors spent Tuesday surveying the damage and beginning cleanup, making trips in and around homes, and lugging branches and debris to the curb.
The city said more than 11 outside communities have joined power restoration efforts. Still, officials expect it will take several more days to restore power because of what they called "unprecedented" damage.
Neighbors said the cleanup will likely take days, if not weeks or months.
“My grandmother always said the island wouldn’t be hit because we’re surrounded by water. And in all my years here, it was never hit until this one,” Skrzypczak said.
The City of Menasha declared a local state of disaster Monday, saying the tornado caused widespread damage and hazardous conditions.
The Menasha Police Department has also issued a City-wide curfew from 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM, effective July 27, until further notice.
City officials said a boil water order remains in effect for portions of Menasha and Fox Crossing because low water pressure may have allowed contamination into the water system. Residents should boil water for at least one minute before drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or preparing infant formula until the order is lifted.
"We're just praying," Brunn said. "Pray for all the people here. A lot of good people."
A volunteer reception center and donation drop-off site is now open at the old UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities Campus on Midway Road in Menasha.
United Way Fox Cities has also started a Community Response Fund for tornado recovery alongside the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.
