The thunderstorms that caused the severe weather and tornadoes in west central Minnesota were also efficient rainmakers. These storms dropped rainfall one to three inches in several bands across central Minnesota. The heaviest rain fell from southern Cass through southern Crow Wing and onto Aitkin County. The automated tipping bucket at the Brainerd Airport picked up 3.01 inches of rain in one hour from 4 to 5pm. The total rainfall from the storm at the Brainerd airport was 4.99 inches. The largest 24 hour total found so far from the MNgage volunteer rain gage network was a Crow Wing County Soil and Water Conservation District observer near Pelican Lake that saw 4.97 inches. The National Weather Service Cooperative Station at Gull Lake in Cass County saw 4.41 inches. Another cluster of storms dumped heavy rain in the St. Cloud with 3.11 inches reported in nearby Sauk Rapids.
There were some evacuations of homes in Staples due to flooding in Todd County, and localized street flooding in St. Cloud. The most damage reported was in the Aitkin area with street flooding and a railroad track was washed out by the Ripple River.
Data used for map creation (comma-separated value file - UTM coordinates)
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