Fox Crossing Fire Station 41 was destroyed as a tornado with estimated peak winds of 140 mph cut a 12-mile path through northeastern Wisconsin

FOX CROSSING, Wis. — A tornado destroyed Fire Station 41 in Fox Crossing on July 27.

Video from WBAY shows several rigs buried under sheets of metal where the station’s roof once stood. Information about the extent of the damage to the apparatus or whether any firefighters were injured at the station was not immediately available.

The National Weather Service preliminarily rated the tornado an EF3 with estimated peak winds of 140 mph. The tornado touched down around 1 p.m. and remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes, cutting a roughly 12-mile path through the Appleton and Menasha areas.

The NWS said it was the strongest tornado to strike Outagamie and Winnebago counties since an EF4 tornado in April 1984.

First responders continued searching damaged homes and buildings on July 28 for anyone who may have been trapped or injured, the Associated Press reported. Officers also went door to door in affected neighborhoods.

The tornado caused widespread damage across the Fox Cities region, which includes Appleton, Menasha and Neenah. Homes were leveled, vehicles were overturned and trees and power lines were brought down.

Dozens of people were injured, but no deaths were reported. ThedaCare Regional Medical Centers in Appleton and Neenah treated 40 people, mostly for minor storm-related injuries. Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton reported treating about 30 patients, all with minor injuries.

Officials said the tornado’s arrival during the early afternoon, after warnings had been issued, may have helped prevent fatalities.

“Everybody was at work. It was the middle of the day,” Menasha Police Chief Matt Albrecht said. “Most people were not at home and at their place of employment.”

Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz said officials were still working to determine the extent of the damage.

“The depth of the tornado and its impact is incredible, devastating,” Hintz said during a July 28 news conference. “We’re really still at the assessment stage.”

Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency for the affected areas, and shelters were opened for residents displaced by the storm.

More than 10,000 customers in Winnebago and Outagamie counties remained without power on July 28. Officials warned that restoration could take several days because downed electrical lines were tangled in broken trees throughout damaged neighborhoods.

The NWS said the tornado developed from a large storm system that moved through the Great Lakes amid high heat and humidity.

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