Sunday, July 12, 2020

Minnesota Tornado Kills 1, Damages Multiple Farmsteads

Published: July 9, 2020






A large tornado in northwest Minnesota killed one person as it damaged multiple farmsteads late Wednesday.

The tornado hit near Dalton, Minnesota, in southeastern Otter Tail County between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. CDT. It moved through mostly open farmland, but three farmsteads suffered significant damage, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Teresa Akerman told the Minneapolis Star Tribune she took shelter in the basement of her home during the storm and hurried to text her daughter to say she loved her.

"I didn't know if I'd be able to say that again," Akerman, 67, said Thursday morning. "It sounded like a great big wind machine. It was the sound of death."

In the Dalton area, the damage ranged from downed trees and power lines to destroyed roofs and even a car thrown into a home's basement, KVRR.com reported.

(MORE: Track Severe Storms)

One person was killed at the first farm that was struck by the tornado, according to the Otter Tail County Sheriff. The 30-year-old man was working in a large garage that was destroyed, The Associated Press reported.

Two others were injured and taken to local hospitals from a second farm that was hit.

"I saw it come down, and right away, you could see the debris rising up," Ashby Mayor Tom Grover told the Star-Tribune, speaking about the tornado.

An NWS meteorologist surveyed some of the damage late Wednesday and found this tornado might have produced at least EF3 damage (136 to 165 mph winds). But additional surveying will be done on Thursday to determine the final preliminary rating.

“Having eyes on the ground, the survey teams can look for indicators of other possible touchdowns,” meteorologist Daniel Robinson told the AP.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Man missing at sea for nearly 2 weeks found alive in life raft off Washington coast

  One of two men missing at sea for nearly two weeks was found alive on Thursday by a Canadian fishing boat in a life raft in Canadian water...