Storm leaves downed trees, thousands without power
Updated: 2:34 p.m | Posted: 8:54 a.m.
Severe thunderstorms raced across central Minnesota and western Wisconsin Friday night, toppling trees, knocking out power and injuring at least one person.
Jim Taggart, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minn., said the storms crossed over from South Dakota into the Benson, Minn. area about 9 p.m., then accelerated across the state for the next four hours.
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He said the worst damage in Minnesota was near Waconia and Watertown. This morning, the National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado with 105 mph winds touched down at 11:58 p.m. last night near Watertown.
Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said there was sporadic building damage with at least one outbuilding destroyed and a home with its roof off. He said he didn't know of any injuries.
The storm knocked out power to an estimated 225,000 Xcel Energy customers, according to Patti Nystuen, a spokesperson for the utility company. As of this afternoon, Xcel reported that 75,000 customers are still without power.
"We've got crews in from all five our our states in this upper Midwest territory, along with contractors and mutual aid crews, and we are working a 16-hour shift to get everybody up as safely and quickly as possible," she said.
Nystuen also said that there were still many reports of power lines on the ground ahead of the cleanup. She urged people to stay away from any downed lines, because they may still be energized and pose a danger.
There weren't any initial reports of deaths or serious injuries, although the National Weather Service said it had received a report of someone in a tent near Benson, Minn., being hit by a falling tree branch and requiring medical attention. Swift County authorities didn't have any more information on the report.
After the storm swept across Minnesota, it crossed into Wisconsin.
"It did pretty much continue through west central Wisconsin after 1 a.m. this morning, and produced more wind damage out in that area," Taggart said.
The storm took down tents at Rock USA in Oshkosh, Wis., where three people reportedly suffered minor injuries early this morning. There was no serious damage reported among the campers at the Eaux Claires festival in Eau Claire, Wis.
Video courtesy of KARE-11
