Severe thunderstorms developed out ahead of a cool front over western Minnesota during the afternoon of July 14th. Two tornadoes were reported in west central Minnesota. The first report was at 4:23PM, 4 miles southwest of Gilchrist in Pope County, this tornado was also sighted near Scandinavian Lake in Pope County at 4:36. Some turkey bans were destroyed in Swift Falls, Swift County near the Pope County line.
The second tornado touched down in Spicer at 4:40pm, causing damage to signs, vehicles and at least one home. The tornado then tracked across nearby Green Lake and flipped over some boats. No injuries were reported with the tornadoes.
Farther north, two men were reported missing on Blackduck Lake in Beltrami County when stormy conditions capsized their boat.
Below are storm reports and public information statements for the July 14, 2009 severe weather from the National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
513 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2009
...DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FROM THE JULY 14TH TORNADOES...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL FROM THE CHANHASSEN FORECAST
OFFICE CONDUCTED A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT IN THE SWIFT FALLS AND SPICER
MINNESOTA AREAS ON WEDNESDAY.
...SWIFT FALLS AREA TORNADO...
THE MAXIMUM INTENSITY TORNADO DAMAGE IN THE SWIFT FALLS AREA WAS
FOUND TO BE EF-2 WITH ESTIMATED WINDS BETWEEN 110 AND 119 MPH. THERE
WERE NO REPORTED FATALITIES OR INJURIES WITH THIS TORNADO. THE
ENTIRE PATH LENGTH WAS APPROXIMATELY NINE MILES...WITH A MAXIMUM
WIDTH OF 350 YARDS. THE TWISTER BEGAN ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTHWEST OF
SWIFT FALLS IN FAR NORTHERN SWIFT COUNTY...TRACKED NORTHEAST THROUGH
SWIFT FALLS...AND ENDED ON THE SHORE OR POSSIBLY OVER SCANDINAVIAN
LAKE IN FAR SOUTHERN POPE COUNTY. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS
ALONG THE FIRST ONE MILE OF THE TORNADO PATH...WHERE TWO LARGE
TURKEY BARNS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE NEXT FIVE MILES OF THE
TRACK WERE HIGHLIGHTED BY EF-1 DAMAGE WITH WINDS BETWEEN 85 AND
100 MPH...WHICH INCLUDED SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE IN SWIFT FALLS.
THE TORNADO PRODUCED EF-1 DAMAGE TO TWO RESIDENCES...DESTROYING
TWO GARAGES AND OTHER OUTBUILDINGS WITH MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO THEIR
HOMES. THE TORNADO PRODUCED MAINLY MINOR CROP AND TREE DAMAGE OVER
THE LAST FOUR MILES OF ITS PATH. TOUCHDOWN TIME APPEARED TO BE
4:21 PM WITH AN END TIME AROUND 4:37 PM...FOR AN AVERAGE MOVEMENT
OF AROUND 34 MPH.
...SPICER AREA TORNADO AND WIND DAMAGE...
THE TORNADO THAT STRUCK SPICER IN CENTRAL KANDIYOHI COUNTY HAD A
MAXIMUM INTENSITY OF EF-1 DAMAGE WITH WINDS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 100
AND 109 MPH. THERE WERE NO REPORTED FATALITIES OR INJURIES WITH
THIS TORNADO. THE TRACK WAS APPROXIMATELY SIX AND A HALF
MILES...WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 250 YARDS. THE BEGINNING OF THE
PATH WAS TWO MILES SOUTHWEST OF SPICER. IT TRACKED NORTHEAST
THROUGH SPICER...INCLUDING ALONG THE SOUTHERN SHORE OF GREEN
LAKE...EMERGED OVER THE LAKE...AND FADED SOON AFTER MOVING BACK
OVER LAND ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE SOUTH OF THE INLET FROM
CALHOUN LAKE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS ROUGHLY ONE TO TWO
MILES INTO THE TORNADO PATH...OR JUST SOUTHWEST OF SPICER...WHERE
A PORTION OF A HOME WAS DAMAGED ALONG WITH SIGNIFICANT TREE
DAMAGE. WITHIN SPICER...THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO PRODUCE EF-1
DAMAGE BREAKING WINDOWS IN DOZENS OF VEHICLES ACROSS THE GREEN
LAKE MALL PARKING LOT AND UPLIFTING A LARGE PART OF A HOUSE AND
GARAGE ROOF. THE FINAL FOUR MILES OF THE TORNADO TRACK HAD MINOR
EF-0 TREE AND SHINGLE DAMAGE. TOUCHDOWN TIME APPEARED TO BE
4:41 PM WITH AN END TIME OF 4:53 PM...FOR AN AVERAGE MOVEMENT OF
AROUND 33 MPH.
APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE SOUTH OF THE SPICER TORNADO WAS
LOCALIZED BUT EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE. THE NATURE...LOCATION...AND
TIMING OF THIS DAMAGE WAS DETERMINED TO BE STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS
FROM THE REAR FLANK DOWNDRAFT OF THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM. THE
DAMAGE OCCURRED ROUGHLY AT THE SAME TIME THE TORNADO WAS
DISSIPATING. ESTIMATED WINDS WERE BETWEEN 90 AND 100 MPH. SUCH A
PHENOMENA CAN OCCUR WITH STRONGLY ROTATING THUNDERSTORMS AND CAN
OFTEN HAPPEN IN THE LATTER PERIOD OF THE TORNADO LIFE CYCLE.
FOR A LINK TO THE TORNADO RATING SCALE...OR ENHANCED FUJITA
SCALE...VISIT HTTP://WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV/EFSCALE
$
FRIEDLEIN/GRIESINGER/KRAUSE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
745 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 4 NE BENSON 45.36N 95.55W
07/14/2009 SWIFT MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0421 PM TORNADO 3 SW SWIFT FALLS 45.37N 95.48W
07/14/2009 SWIFT MN NWS STORM SURVEY
AN NWS STORM SURVEY AND VISUAL REPORTS CONFIRM A TORNADO
FROM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SWIFT FALLS TO 6 MILES
NORTHWEST OF SWIFT FALLS. MAXIMUM DAMAGE WAS EF-2 WITH
ESTIMATED WINDS 110-119 MPH. TORNADO DAMAGE INCLUDED
DESTRUCTION OF TWO TURKEY BARNS AND SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS
ALONG WITH EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE IN SWIFT FALLS.
0441 PM TORNADO 2 SW SPICER 45.21N 94.97W
07/14/2009 KANDIYOHI MN NWS STORM SURVEY
AN NWS STORM SURVEY...VISUAL REPORTS...AND VIDEO
CONFIRMED A TORNADO FROM TWO MILES SOUTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN
SPICER TO APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF
DOWNTOWN SPICER. MAXIMUM DAMAGE WAS EF-1 WITH ESTIMATED
WINDS 100 TO 109 MPH. DAMAGE INCLUDED PARTIAL DESTRUCTION
TO THE UPPER LEVEL OF ONE HOUSE...PARTIAL ROOF UPLIFT ON
MULTIPLE HOUSES...MAJOR DAMAGE TO A FEW
OUTBUILDINGS...AND DOZENS OF CAR WINDOWS BROKEN IN THE
GREEN MALL PARKING LOT.
0453 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 E SPICER 45.23N 94.86W
07/14/2009 KANDIYOHI MN NWS STORM SURVEY
AN NWS STORM SURVEY FOUND STRAIGHT-LINE THUNDERSTORM WIND
DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REAR-FLANK DOWNDRAFT OF THE
TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH WENT THROUGH SPICER.
LOCALIZED EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE WAS FOUND. ESTIMATED
WINDS WERE BETWEEN 90 AND 100 MPH.
0508 PM HAIL 5 SW EVANSVILLE 45.96N 95.75W
07/14/2009 M0.88 INCH DOUGLAS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0545 PM FLASH FLOOD STAPLES 46.36N 94.80W
07/14/2009 TODD MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
EVACUATIONS FOR HOMES ON 5TH ST. POWER SHUT OFF TO
STAPLES HIGH RISE APTS ON 4TH ST.
0552 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 2 E RICHMOND 45.45N 94.48W
07/14/2009 STEARNS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0625 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 2 N ST CLOUD 45.58N 94.17W
07/14/2009 STEARNS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS IN THE ST
CLOUD AREA.
0630 PM FLOOD ST CLOUD 45.55N 94.17W
07/14/2009 STEARNS MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
CO SHERIFF REPORTED LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS MAINLY
URBAN AREAS IN STREETS
0635 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 4 WNW DUELM 45.58N 94.01W
07/14/2009 BENTON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTERS WERE NORTH OF DUELM LOOKING WEST.
0715 PM HEAVY RAIN ST JOSEPH 45.57N 94.32W
07/14/2009 M2.80 INCH STEARNS MN CO-OP OBSERVER
RECIEVED 2.8 INCHES OF RAIN FROM AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS.
0731 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 N ST CLOUD 45.60N 94.18W
07/14/2009 M3.00 INCH BENTON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
942 AM CDT WED JUL 15 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 4 NE BENSON 45.36N 95.55W
07/14/2009 SWIFT MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0423 PM TORNADO 4 SW GILCHRIST 45.41N 95.37W
07/14/2009 POPE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED TORNADO ON THE GROUND
0436 PM TORNADO 6 NNE SWIFT FALLS 45.49N 95.39W
07/14/2009 POPE MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
TORNADO REPORTED NEAR SCANDINAVIAN LAKE
0440 PM TORNADO SPICER 45.23N 94.94W
07/14/2009 KANDIYOHI MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND IN
SPICER WITH DEBRIS SEEN AT A LOCAL SHOPPING MALL.
0450 PM TORNADO 3 NE SPICER 45.26N 94.89W
07/14/2009 KANDIYOHI MN PUBLIC
TORNADO TRACKED ACROSS GREEN LAKE
0508 PM HAIL 5 SW EVANSVILLE 45.96N 95.75W
07/14/2009 M0.88 INCH DOUGLAS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0545 PM FLASH FLOOD STAPLES 46.36N 94.80W
07/14/2009 TODD MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
EVACUATIONS FOR HOMES ON 5TH ST. POWER SHUT OFF TO
STAPLES HIGH RISE APTS ON 4TH ST.
0552 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 2 E RICHMOND 45.45N 94.48W
07/14/2009 STEARNS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0625 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 2 N ST CLOUD 45.58N 94.17W
07/14/2009 STEARNS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS IN THE ST
CLOUD AREA.
0630 PM FLOOD ST CLOUD 45.55N 94.17W
07/14/2009 STEARNS MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
CO SHERIFF REPORTED LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS MAINLY
URBAN AREAS IN STREETS
0635 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 4 WNW DUELM 45.58N 94.01W
07/14/2009 BENTON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTERS WERE NORTH OF DUELM LOOKING WEST.
0715 PM HEAVY RAIN ST JOSEPH 45.57N 94.32W
07/14/2009 M2.80 INCH STEARNS MN CO-OP OBSERVER
RECIEVED 2.8 INCHES OF RAIN FROM AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS.
0731 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 N ST CLOUD 45.60N 94.18W
07/14/2009 M3.00 INCH BENTON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0825 PM HAIL 4 SSW WARMAN 46.01N 93.33W
07/14/2009 M0.50 INCH KANABEC MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
CORRECTED 635 PM CDT REPORT FROM 4 WNW DUELM TO INDICATE FUNNEL CLOUD
RATHER THAN FLASH FLOOD.
$
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
346 AM CDT WED JUL 15 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0425 PM HAIL 5 N PILLAGER 46.40N 94.48W
07/14/2009 M0.75 INCH CASS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
SOME SMALL BRANCHES DOWN.
0435 PM HAIL 3 E PILLAGER 46.33N 94.41W
07/14/2009 E1.75 INCH CASS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0435 PM HAIL N GULL LAKE 46.45N 94.35W
07/14/2009 M0.88 INCH CASS MN CO-OP OBSERVER
0440 PM HAIL BRAINERD 46.35N 94.19W
07/14/2009 M0.88 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0456 PM TSTM WND GST BRAINERD 46.35N 94.19W
07/14/2009 M60.00 MPH CROW WING MN ASOS
MEASURED AT BRAINERD AIRPORT KBRD.
0515 PM HEAVY RAIN 1 E MERRIFIELD 46.47N 94.15W
07/14/2009 M5.00 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0515 PM HAIL 1 E MERRIFIELD 46.47N 94.15W
07/14/2009 M1.75 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0535 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 SW GRAND RAPIDS 47.18N 93.60W
07/14/2009 M2.75 INCH ITASCA MN TRAINED SPOTTER
2.75 INCHES IN 2 HOURS.
0543 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 N MOTLEY 46.36N 94.64W
07/14/2009 M3.25 INCH CASS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
3.25 INCHES OF RAIN IN 2.5 HOURS
0545 PM HEAVY RAIN NISSWA 46.50N 94.30W
07/14/2009 M4.00 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER
4 INCHES OF RAIN IN 2 HOURS.
0615 PM HAIL BRAINERD 46.35N 94.19W
07/14/2009 M0.75 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER
HEAVY RAIN PRIOR TO HAIL CAUSING STREET FLOODING.
0715 PM FLASH FLOOD AITKIN 46.53N 93.71W
07/14/2009 AITKIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
STREETS INUNDATED WITH STANDING WATER. LOW LYING AREAS
FILLING AND ONE CITY BLOCK AFFECTED BY WATER IN... OR
APPROACHING BUILDINGS.
0715 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 NE DEERWOOD 46.52N 93.82W
07/14/2009 M6.00 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER
6 INCHES OF RAIN IN 3 HOURS.
0815 PM FLASH FLOOD AITKIN 46.53N 93.71W
07/14/2009 AITKIN MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
RAIL ROAD TRACK WASHED OUT BY THE RIPPLE RIVER IN AITKIN.
0903 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 N PILLAGER 46.40N 94.48W
07/14/2009 M6.30 INCH CASS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0910 PM TSTM WND GST PORT WING 46.77N 91.39W
07/14/2009 M53.00 MPH BAYFIELD WI OFFICIAL NWS OBS
0948 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 SW DANBURY 45.97N 92.43W
07/14/2009 BURNETT WI TRAINED SPOTTER
SEVERAL LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
0145 CDT TUE JUL 15 2009
...PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...
PRELIMINARY HEAVY RAIN TOTALS FROM TUESDAY JULY 14TH.
RAIN ACCUMULATION
6.30 INCHES8N PILLAGER
6.00 INCHES5NE DEER WOOD
5.00 INCHES 1S MERRIFIELD
4.20 INCHES5N BRAINERD
4.00 INCHES NISSWA
3.25 INCHES2N MOTLEY
2.75 INCHES 5SW GRAND RAPIDS
1.60 INCHESCLOQUET
1.42 INCHES INTERNATIONAL FALLS
1.36 INCHES DULUTH AIRPORT
Last modified: January 6, 2017
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