ND, MN tornado was big and strong

Wahpeton, N.D. (AP)

Share

Wilkin County Tornado
In this Aug. 7, 2010 image made from APTN video, debris flies through the air as a tornado touches down in rural Wilkin County, Minn. The National Weather Service says several tornadoes touched down in southeast North Dakota and western Minnesota. No injuries appear to have been reported. Meteorolgist Tom Grafenauer says a line of storms that started in North Dakota and moved east into Minnesota appears to have generated several tornadoes. He says touchdowns were reported near Tyler, N.D.; Tenney, Minn.; and Fergus Falls, Minn.
AP Photo/Anonymous

The National Weather Service says a devastating weekend tornado that hit North Dakota's Richland County and Minnesota's Wilkin County was an EF4 twister on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with peak winds up to 175 mph.

The tornado touched down Saturday evening about 10 miles south of Wahpeton, then moved northeast into Minnesota and ended about seven miles southeast of Breckenridge. It cut a swath as wide as two football fields.

The Weather Service estimates the tornado traveled five miles and was on the ground for more than 20 minutes. It leveled 14 farm buildings on two farmsteads, one in each state. No injuries were reported.

The tornado was one of several that touched down in the region Saturday night.

---

Information from: The Fargo-Moorhead Forum, http://www.in-forum.com

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

Gallery

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Providing Support for MPR.
Learn More
Program ScheduleStation Directory