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UPDATE: Our sirens are back on, but I don't see anything. But, down in Minneapolis, I'm seeing the damage to the Electric Fetus. Bricks stripped off the outside wall, and broken windows in front, so they are shut down. The Mayor stopped by a minute ago, apparently. I wonder if they'll have a sale?????
(For those of you who do not know the Twin Cities ... The Fetus is a music store of some local fame)
OMG, I'm looking at footage not far from Stephanie and Ben's house, and there is quite a bit of street flooding. THIS COULD AFFECT BEN'S BEER!!!
EMERGENCY EMERGENCY!!!!
UPDATE: Probably multiple smallish tornadoes struck in South and Downtown Minneapolis, and several other small to medium size tornadoes have been spotted over the region, with weather continuing to develop and in some cases worsten in the path of this storm, which runs from south of Rochester, north through Washington county, and then spreads across a broad fromt from nrothern Ramseyy County to the Wisconsin Border. A second storm system is moving along nicely in the western/central part of the state and seems to be of some concern.
Again, no major damage reported so far and no serious injuries, but a lot of freaked out people and numerous small injuries. The beautiful old trees of South Minneapolis really took it in the neck. So to speak.
Minneapolis has probably been hit with a real tornado (not just straight line winds). The tornao apparently was signted or felt between rt 94 and Lyndale, went north where it touched down between 38th St and 5th Avenue (upper left of the main area of damage) and Portland and 42nd ) lower right) of damage box).
I am getting tornado warnings here now as I write this, and there is a nasty looking radar signature coming through right now, though the wind has died down and the rain has slowed considerably (calm before the storm)?
.. ok, blogging from basement now ....
There are numerous reports of minor injuries, no reports of serious injuries, numerous reports of trees down, few reports of structural damage, and rescue parties are moving through the neighborhood looking for injured people and stuff.
If you are in the vicinity and have a downed power line, call: 1 800 895 1999.
Comments
If the damage in and near downtown was caused by a tornado, it was incredibly isolated. We have the noisiest windows in this office, and they didn't even flex.
Posted by: Stephanie Z | August 19, 2009 4:27 PM
Stay safe. I'm listening to watches and warnings come in for central IL, and I'm getting ready to head for home (before the nasty stuff gets here).
Posted by: Dan J | August 19, 2009 4:31 PM
I'm starting to think that whatever happened downtown (and there are three separate funnel cloud sightings in downtown) may have been a different event than what happened in S. Minneapolis (based on timing). I don't know of a funnel cloud sighting at 94th and Lyndale, but several in between.
At 18th and clinton, there is quite a bit of damage and down trees, and much minor structural damage. A funnel cloud was spotted at that location.
Posted by: Greg Laden | August 19, 2009 4:34 PM
Oh, when I say "three separate funnel cloud..." I mean three different reports of funnel clouds, probably the same funnel cloud (or, really, maybe the same funnel cloud).
Our weather has cleared here.
Between 35th and 45th on Portland there are piles of trees down, and somewhere in that vicinity there's a half a foot of water on the road.
The Quiche Moraine site is still up, so that's good...
Posted by: Greg Laden | August 19, 2009 4:37 PM
We're on relatively high ground, and we didn't regrade after buying the house for nothing. The beer is fine. And no, I'm not walking home in street flooding to check on it!
WCCO has lots of pictures.
Posted by: Stephanie Z | August 19, 2009 5:15 PM
This is God's way of expressing his feelings on the Favre signing.
Posted by: Virgil Samms | August 19, 2009 5:54 PM
Here's a video of some of the damage.
Posted by: The Science Pundit | August 19, 2009 6:41 PM
My brother-in-law deliberately chases those things. Absolutely insane. Stay safe in those basement thingies y'all have way up there.
Posted by: CyberLizard | August 19, 2009 7:59 PM
#1 Son is in training for that job. BILs are more expendable.
Yup. Just proves he's mine, I guess.
Posted by: D. C. Sessions | August 19, 2009 8:16 PM
As someone who grew up in Tornado Alley (TX), I can well sympathize. Most tornadoes aren't very big, so isolated damage is common. They are more like someone was firing random mortar shells around than dropping a nuke... actually more nerve racking due to the unpredictability.
Tangential story I hope provides some amusement. Some family of mine (Aunt, Uncle, and cousins) living in MO had their house flattened by a tornado. They are sensible folks, so they had a storm cellar and no one was seriously hurt. When they rebuilt though, they went for a ~80% underground design built into a hill. If they got hit again, they'd just loose what is basically an enclosed porch. (Their house is also very energy efficient, a side effect at the time I'm sure they appreciate now.)
Posted by: travc | August 20, 2009 12:40 AM
Crap, Greg.
I was in Fridley yesterday when all this was going on, and we got hustled into the storm shelters twice. I didn't notice the damage along 94 as I headed back to the airport (at about the time you were posting that the weather was clearing), but the traffic around that area was pretty bad even for that time of day.
Have they made any sort of damage estimates yet?
Posted by: Jay | August 20, 2009 8:17 AM