Thousands of Xcel customers could be without power until Friday
Updated: 7 p.m. | Posted: 5:38 a.m.
About 250,000 Xcel Energy customers lost power at some point as a result of strong storms that swept through the region on Tuesday night.
As of Wednesday night, more than thousands of customers still had no power.
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"Right now, as far as a restoration time, the best we can say right now is this a multi-day event, and ask our customers to keep in contact with us," said Michael Boland, Xcel Energy's manager of emergency response. "Updates are going to be given out continually during the day to let people know what's going on."
Xcel Energy officials say work crews, including workers called in from other utilities in the region, are out trying to repair damage.
'Due to the straight line winds, the tree damage is extensive," Boland said. "Along with that, numerous infrastructure [damages] also took place, as far as poles and wires."
For those who have no power, Boland recommends leaving refrigerators and freezers closed. For those with damage to electrical equipment on their home, he recommends getting a qualified electrician to make necessary repairs.
More storms are expected on Wednesday night in the region, with the National Weather Service predicting particularly severe storms in southern Minnesota.
The National Weather Service says Tuesday's storms knocked down trees up to 2 feet in diameter between Cold Spring and Kimball as they moved through central Minnesota. Widespread tree damage was reported between South Haven and Annandale, where gusts topped 71 mph. A pole barn was blown down near Becker.
Wright County's emergency manager, Steve Berg, said straight-line winds caused extensive tree damage in the Annandale, Buffalo and Hanover areas, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or major structural damage.
The skies turned dark over downtown Minneapolis before 6 p.m., and Twins baseball fans were told to take cover as torrential rain arrived at Target Field. The game against the Oakland Athletics was rain-delayed for more than two and a half hours.
Up to 3 inches of rain fell in some parts of the metropolitan area, triggering a flash flood warning.
Ramsey County officials reported several people had to be rescued from flooded cars in Roseville, and in Fridley, first responders rescued five to six people from cars, the Star Tribune reported.
The strong winds included 60-mph gusts clocked at the Crystal airport and the Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie.
The thunderstorms caused temporary delays at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, but spokesperson Pat Hogan said the airport remained open.
A tornado touched down north of Appleton in Swift County of western Minnesota around 3 p.m., the weather service said, but there were no immediate reports of damage.