MPR’s Linda Peinovich interviews meteorologist John Graff, who describes the path and destruction of tornado that struck areas of Twin Cities on June 14th, 1981. Graff notes that it was a singular tornado that made a straight line through the metro.
Known later by various names ("Har Mar Tornado," "Lake Harriet," or "Edina Tornado"), the F3 tornado was the most significant to hit the Twin Cities since the 1965 Fridley Mounds-View tornadoes. The path of tornado was continuous for 15 miles over a 26-minute period. One of the hardest hit areas was the Har Mar Mall area. While the mall itself escaped serious damage; other businesses and homes in the area were hit hard.