Menasha council declares local state of disaster after tornado, votes 8–0

The Menasha Common Council declared a local state of disaster emergency on July 27 and voted 8–0 to approve a resolution to coordinate recovery after last week’s tornado. Mayor Hammond told the council he had convened the emergency operations center and worked with Winnebago County and Wisconsin Emergency Management to assemble a joint response.

Mayor Hammond said the declaration and the state’s emergency proclamation will help speed aid and allow broader agency coordination. “I declared a local state of disaster for the city of Menasha,” he said, adding that the move helped make National Guard support and other state resources available. Deputy Clerk Jannett recorded the unanimous vote.

Alderman Rand, who said his own home is uninhabitable, urged council members to keep long-term recovery needs in view. “The hardest part of this disaster will not be the day the tornado hit,” he said, calling for sustained attention to families navigating insurance, contractors and temporary housing. The resolution formalizes the city’s emergency posture and is intended to support mutual aid, documentation of damages and pursuit of state or federal disaster relief.