MPR’s Liz Hannon interviews Robert Sorlie, an Albert Lea resident about the challenging conditions after blizzard hit area. Sorlie details downed tree limbs, ice, power outages, and a run on supplies at few stores that opened. The blizzard was part of a statewide weather event.
Lore has claimed it as “The Halloween Blizzard,” and Minnesotan memories and tales have only increased with the passage of time. Snow started falling on the morning of October 31, 1991. By midnight, the storm had dumped 8.2 inches of snow at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, breaking the record for the most snow on that date. By the time it was all done three days later, the storm had dumped more than 2 feet of snow in the Twin Cities and 3 feet in Duluth. The North Shore city’s 36.9-inch snowfall set a record at the time as the largest single snowstorm total for Minnesota.
Transcripts
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ROBERT SORLIE: It's like a war zone. Of course, you never were in the war. Maybe, but, anyway, I'm sitting here looking out the back yard. And I got two big branches on our porch. A lot of branches in our backyard. And everything is ice coated. And some of the trees won't make it. And the neighbors have a mess all around us.
Just looking north, I'm looking north now. But it's the city of Albert Lea is still without electricity in places, in parts, and out in the country. It'll probably be-- well, according to the radio scanner and everything, it would be next weekend before a lot of them will have electricity.
LIZ HANNON: Now, what happened at your own household over the weekend? When did you lose power? And how did you manage?
ROBERT SORLIE: Oh, we had a gas stove in the basement. And we have a kerosene heater that we use in the basement. So we had coffee. And we were able to get along fine. We got out anytime we wanted to. They said to stay off the road. So we did pretty much.
There was only one grocery store that was open later in Saturday. And it was just like a-- or Sunday morning. And it was just like a zoo, the people that were out there. And only had one gas station, going for a long time. And we stayed warm, got plenty of clothes. And we're used to this kind of weather.
LIZ HANNON: Now, I understand you told me that you used to work with the transportation department for Freeborn County. Is that correct?
ROBERT SORLIE: I worked for the Freeborn County highway department for 20 some years. And I've been retired now eight years. So I know what it's like to be out there in a blizzard and a lot of ice, and it gets awfully scary.
LIZ HANNON: Were there any moments when you and your wife felt afraid for what was going to happen, since the power was out at your home?
ROBERT SORLIE: Oh, no, no, no. It's happened before, but not so long periods of time. So no, when you grow up in this country and stuff, and the wife and I both graduated from Minneapolis High School. So we know about the blizzards of '40 and all that stuff. We're up there in age.
LIZ HANNON: How does this compare with those past blizzards, sir?
ROBERT SORLIE: Oh, I think this is most devastating, as far as electricity. Of course, the one we had in '75 was a bad winter too. And I got a pin that one of the banks gave out. It says as a survivor of '75, so that was a bad winter. It's quite hectic. I feel sorry for the people that still don't have electricity. The farmers, especially, because they're getting generators and stuff out to them now, but a lot of them are in bad shape out there freezing.
LIZ HANNON: That's what we're concerned about too. I think everyone who knows the story and knows that there are people out there who are still waiting for heat 48 hours later are concerned.
ROBERT SORLIE: There's a lot of schools that are won't open today because they have no electricity out in these small towns in Freeborn County. And several banks won't open and a couple post offices won't be working, because there's no electricity yet.
LIZ HANNON: Now, I understand that you and your wife are going to get out into your car today and go somewhere. Do you feel that the traffic will be OK?
ROBERT SORLIE: Yes, ma'am.