A powerful tornado tore through Appleton, Wisconsin, and the surrounding communities of Menasha and Neenah, on Monday afternoon, July 27. The EF3 twister spun through residential neighborhoods for at least 20 minutes, tearing apart homes, uprooting trees, and leaving thousands of families without power before it dissipated over Lake Winnebago.
Less than 24 hours after the tornado, Samaritan’s Purse deployed to the devastated region to bring help and hope in Jesus’ Name.
“We thank God that there have been no reported deaths from the storm, but it damaged many homes and businesses in the community,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham on Facebook. “Pray for these hurting families.”
Disaster Relief Unit #3—a tractor-trailer full of relief supplies and equipment—arrived in the Badger State on Wednesday, July 29. Our host church for this response is Alliance Church of Appleton at 2693 Grand Chute Boulevard, which also served as our base of operations earlier this year in response to tornadoes in the nearby town of New London.
Volunteers are now serving in the community as the hands and feet of Jesus. The teams help reeling homeowners recover personal items, clean up strewn debris, cut fallen trees, and tarp damaged roofs.
Chaplains from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Rapid Response Team join our volunteer teams to provide spiritual encouragement and share the eternal hope of the Gospel.
Pray for the families whose lives were torn apart by this sudden twister. Pray that they will experience God’s love and peace as our volunteers serve them in His Name.
