Around noon on Monday, July 27, a tornado ripped through northeastern Wisconsin, causing severe damage to Bethel, Menasha, a bilingual WELS church with about 500 members. The tornado also damaged the Menasha location of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Preschool, which is located on Bethel’s property and is a shared ministry of Bethel and Mount Calvary, Harrison.
Preliminary assessments from the National Weather Service have classified the tornado as an EF-3 with sustained winds of 140 miles per hour. It traveled 12.1 miles, significantly damaging property in Menasha, Appleton, and several other nearby communities. As of Monday evening, no fatalities had been reported.
Dan Sims, director of WELS Christian Aid and Relief, is visiting the area on Tuesday, July 28, and meeting with representatives from Bethel and other area WELS congregations. For more information on how to support WELS Christian Aid and Relief in these recovery efforts, visit wels.net/relief.
This is a developing story, and it will be updated as additional information comes to light.
