More than 5,000 still without power in north Mpls.
About 5,500 people are still without power Wednesday in north Minneapolis and surrounding areas.
Sunday's tornado destroyed much of the electrical infrastructure, making it difficult to restore power quickly.
Xcel Energy spokeswoman Patti Nystuen said about 400 workers are in the area Wednesday.
"Their jobs basically are replacing poles and stringing wires and setting transformers, and that work needs to be done before we can energize in that area," Nystuen said. "It's slow and it's painstaking and it's time consuming but we are making progress."
Nystuen said of the customers without power, Xcel won't be able to reconnect about 20 percent of them because their homes or apartments are too badly damaged. Repairs or rebuilding will have to take place first.
Xcel plans to keep replacing parts of the electrical infrastructure and then restore power to as many people as possible.
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.