Tornado count for Minn. pegged at 18; could rise

The latest count from National Weather Service puts the number of tornadoes that swept across Minnesota last Thursday at 18.

But meteorologist Tom Hultquist said Tuesday that the number could grow in the coming days. He says it takes longer to confirm smaller, weaker tornadoes.

The weather service initially put the count at 39, but started scaling that back as it sorted out reports from people seeing the same tornado in multiple locations.

Minnesota's one-day record is 27, from June 16, 1992.

Three of Thursday's tornadoes were rare EF4 tornadoes - stronger than any recorded in 10 years in Minnesota. The outbreak killed three people, the most since four people died on July 5, 1978.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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