MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — People in storm-ravaged Menasha are getting some positive news Thursday morning.
Power has been restored to 90% of the downtown area.
Utility crews continue to warn people to stay away from areas where they are working.
The city is still enforcing a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
On Thursday, roads are closed to all vehicle traffic on Doty Island east of Naymut Street and north of Nicolet Boulevard for tornado damage cleanup. Law enforcement is in the area, and vehicles will not be allowed to enter or leave the restricted area at this time.
Menasha Police are increasing their patrols after two people were arrested. Authorities say they were trying to take personal belongings from debris piles.
Preliminary damage assessments are set to begin Thursday morning. And while they don’t guarantee state or federal aid, it’s the first step.
Officials say while slow, progress is being made.
Keith Kemp has lived in his Menasha home for almost 49 years.
He said on Monday he was sitting on his front porch when straight line winds moved in. When he heard the tornado siren go off and saw dust and debris spinning in a circular motion and hitting the back of the house, he and his wife went into the basement.
“We were there 10 minutes and everything got quiet, so we came upstairs and looked out the back window and it’s like holy crap, what the hell happened? And then we came out to the front and came out the door and you know, several of the neighbors are coming out and it’s just like, wow, you know, never seen anything like this. It’s like a war zone,” he said.
Kemp says he’s running on a generator for power. He said he spoke to a utility worker Wednesday who guessed he could be without power for another two weeks.
The tornado also passed over Doty Island and caused destruction there.
Diane McDonald has been a Doty Island resident for more than 20 years and she is also the executive director of the Old Glory Honor Flight.
She says the scenes are so surreal.
“We had a major storm in about 2000 and the power was gone for a couple of days but nothing like this, this is the stuff you see on TV, this is the stuff you can’t even imagine until you’re here and our street was hit pretty hard but look at all the homes that were decimated and if you go just a couple blocks down, those folks are in real trouble,” she said.
She adds her Old Glory family and veterans have been stopping by to see if she needs help and they’ve been helping out her neighbors as well.
She says it’s amazing to see how much progress that’s already been made in just a few days but there is a lot more work to be done in the weeks and months ahead.
Phillip Carton of Superior Exteriors & Interiors says he and his crews are out on Doty Island helping homeowners clear debris off their homes and covering any holes in their roof before the rain comes Friday.
Carton estimates it could take five or more years for the community to fully rebuild.
The tornado hit about a month before classes are set to resume in the Menasha School District.
Every year, the district hosts the “Bluejay Back 2 School Bash.”
The event offers clothes to students in need.
But this year — it’s expanding to include school supplies, personal hygiene products, and gift cards.
The Mobile Health Team has offered up its Neenah office as a donation drop off site.
