(credit: Bab Staples)
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – National Weather Service preliminary storm reports paint pictures of the thunderstorms that swept over much of Minnesota Sunday night as ones that produced wind gusts of up to 79 mph, hail and a possible tornado touchdown.
Below are just a few of the reports that came in Sunday night.
Preliminary storm reports from Stearns County said that wind gusts snapped 8-inch thick branches from tree trunks and toppled fully-grown, 16-inch diameter trees.
Sauk Centre appears to be one of the cities hardest hit by the storm. Reports said the gusts that lashed the city knocked over power lines, causing some parts of the city to lose power. The winds also flipped and mangled trailers and large grain equipment.
There is a report from Anoka County that winds measured at 70 mph toppled 10-inch diameter trees. And there is also a report from Douglas County that says the winds moving through Alexandria were measured at 79 mph.
A trained spotter in Meeker County said that a tornado touched down near Grove City around 8:50 p.m.
A trained spotter in Renville County said he saw hail that was estimated at nearly an inch in diameter.
As of yet, there have been no reports of injuries.
Many WCCO-TV viewers responded on the WCCO Facebook page and wrote about power outages, downed trees and even fires caused by lightening.
