Transcripts

JESS MADOR: The Hennepin County Medical examiner's office declined to comment on the cause of death or the identity of the person who was killed. But neighbors in North Minneapolis told MPR News the man was killed when a tree limb fell onto his moving car. Most of the injured people were taken to North Memorial Hospital, where a spokesperson said none of the patients they treated had serious injuries. MPR News meteorologist, Craig Edwards says a tornado watch was issued about two hours before the tornado was spotted. It moved quickly and covered a large distance.

CRAIG EDWARD: Through North Minneapolis into Fridley and then into Anoka County and also reports up by Forest lake and then ultimately up into Chisago County with reports up in that area as well.

JESS MADOR: Edwards says the size of the storm, which spawned at least one tornado near highways 103 94, was remarkable. National Weather Service forecasters say the twister was the first to hit the city since August of 2009. The line of damage the storm left stretched from just West of Minneapolis, through the city and into the Northeastern suburbs, but much of the storm's destruction was concentrated in North Minneapolis. That's where resident Britta Giddings was waiting on a bus with her family on their way to an emergency Red Cross shelter. The storm destroyed everything Giddings had.

BRITTA GIDDINGS: The tree fell on my house. The whole roof caved in. The car, everything. And I don't even know where we will sleep tonight.

JESS MADOR: Giddings says neighbors helped carry her injured mother to the corner when the ambulance couldn't access their blocked street. With both her cars destroyed, she worries how she'll get to the hospital to see her mother, but for now, her concerns were more immediate.

BRITTA GIDDINGS: We didn't know where to go. I don't know. I don't know what to do. I don't even have clothes because the whole roof. Roof caved-- the whole roof caved in. So I don't even know whether we'll be able to take anything out of there. This is all we got on us.

JESS MADOR: Bryn Mawr resident Emily Anderson was driving in the West Metro when she was surprised to see so much storm damage.

EMILY ANDERSON: I saw trees, large trees, really large trees down all over, and by the time I got down to Theodore Wirth Park, it was horrible. And Theodore Wirth Park was not passable for sure going South, possibly going North as well. And I thought I could get home, but I had to turn around by Theodore Wirth lake because there was a huge tree blocking-- completely blocking Glenwood.

JESS MADOR: By Sunday afternoon, the storm had left a wake of damaged homes and downed trees across the North side. Some buildings were completely collapsed. By Sunday night, Mayor RT Rebbach declare a local emergency and instituted a nighttime curfew in part of the North side. Meanwhile, crews worked to assess the storm damage and clear debris from the streets. Officials asked residents to watch for gas leaks. The storm uprooted as many as 50 natural gas service lines in Minneapolis and Saint Louis Park, and there were electricity outages.

Xcel Energy reported the storm knocked out power to more than 20,000 customers in the metro. A spokesperson said it could take more than a day to restore service to everyone who lost it Sunday. Storm damage was also reported in Brooklyn center, Blaine, Fridley and Coon Rapids.

In Fridley, officials reported no injuries or deaths, but they say the storm left significant damage to homes and businesses, overturned railroad cars and left a mess of downed trees and live power lines. Jess Mador, Minnesota Public Radio news, Saint Paul.