With very little thunder, but lots of rain, a large cluster of showers with occasional intense bursts of rain moved across southern and central Minnesota during the day of August 19. Skies were murky over the Twin Cities during the early afternoon in the midst of the rain falling. Small low level ragged clouds moved swiftly south while the higher rain laden clouds moved to the north. The rain and the severe weather was associated with a strengthening low pressure center that moved from southwest to northeast across southern and eastern Minnesota.
In the midst of the tropical monsoon like rains, an odd tornadic event for Minnesota happened. Embedded within the heavy rain showers small areas of rotation developed in the clouds and several tornadoes were spawned. The first tornado was reported by a storm spotter at about 2:11pm south of downtown Minneapolis. The tornado began near east 53rd and Park Avenues. The tornado then moved due north and caused tree and home damage. There was damage to trees along Portland Avenue near 35th Street. The Central Lutheran Church near the Minneapolis Convention Center was damaged as well as homes and businesses near I 35W and I-94. The Electric Fetus Store at 4th and Franklin had a window broken and roof damage. The last time the city of Minneapolis was hit by a tornado was on June 14, 1981.
Another tornado was reported at 2:43pm and caused damage in Cottage Grove. This tornado was reported on the ground at Highway 61 and Highway 95/manning Avenue. Trees up to three feet in diameter were downed.
National Weather Service survey teams are investigating other areas of damage including damage to a middle school in North Branch.
Below are preliminary local storm reports from the National Weather Service
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
318 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
...TORNADO RATINGS FROM THE COTTAGE GROVE AND HUDSON WISCONSIN
AREAS...
...COTTAGE GROVE TORNADO RATED A LOW END EF1...
...HUDSON WISCONSIN TORNADO RATED AN EF0...
A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASSESSMENT TEAM SURVEYED STORM DAMAGE
FROM THE COTTAGE GROVE AND HUDSON WISCONSIN AREAS TODAY. THEY
CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR 122ND STREET JUST WEST OF
HIGHWAY 61 IN SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY AROUND 240 PM CDT ON THE
AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 19TH...WHERE IT INITIALLY PRODUCED EF0 DAMAGE TO
A ROOF...PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT...AND A GARAGE DOOR. THE TORNADO THEN
TRACKED NORTHWEST ACROSS LOFTON AND LOCKRIDGE AVENUES JUST WEST OF
HIGHWAY 61 IN COTTAGE GROVE...WHERE IT PRODUCED LOW END EF1 DAMAGE.
THE TORNADO EITHER UPROOTED OR SHEARED OFF A SWATH OF LARGE
TREES...MANY THAT WERE 2 TO 3 FEET IN DIAMETER. THE APPROXIMATE PATH
LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS 1200 YARDS...AND THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS 75
YARDS. ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS WITH THIS TORNADO WERE 90 TO 100 MPH.
DAMAGE FROM ANOTHER TORNADO WAS FOUND NEAR COUNTY ROAD UU AND LARSON
LANE NEAR HUDSON WISCONSIN. THIS TORNADO PRODUCED EF0 DAMAGE...AND
TOUCHED DOWN SHORTLY AFTER 3 PM CDT. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTH
NORTHEAST AND EITHER DOWNED OR UPROOTED SEVERAL 1 TO 2 FOOT DIAMETER
TREES...AND ALSO CAUSED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE HOUSES. THE
APPROXIMATE PATH WIDTH WAS 25 YARDS...AND THE LENGTH WAS ABOUT 600
YARDS. ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS WITH THIS TORNADO WERE 80 TO 85 MPH.
A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
CHANHASSEN IS STILL SURVEYING STORM DAMAGE IN THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA.
THE DAMAGE SURVEY IS ONGOING AND A RATING OF THE TORNADO
INTENSITY...TRACK WIDTH...AND TRACK LENGTH ARE NOT YET COMPLETE.
HOWEVER...THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A TORNADO WHICH TOUCHED
DOWN IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS...INITIALLY NEAR EAST 53RD AND PARK
AVENUES. THE TORNADO THEN MOVED NORTH FROM THAT LOCATION TOWARD
DOWNTOWN AND LIFTED NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER. THE MOST INTENSE
DAMAGE WAS FOUND ALONG AND NEAR PORTLAND AVE BETWEEN EAST 45TH AND
43RD STREETS. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED IN THIS AREA... WITH DAMAGE
TO A NUMBER OF HOMES AS WELL. ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND MORE SPECIFIC
INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED LATER TODAY.
SKYWARN SPOTTERS WITNESSED TORNADOES BRIEFLY TOUCH DOWN IN RURAL
PORTIONS OF BROWN AND BLUE EARTH COUNTIES ON WEDNESDAY... BUT ONLY
MINOR CROP DAMAGE WAS FOUND IN OPEN AREAS.
RESULTS FROM THE SURVEYS WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED ON THE INTERNET AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TWINCITIES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
954 PM CDT WED AUG 19 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0220 PM TSTM WND DMG MINNEAPOLIS 44.96N 93.27W
08/19/2009 HENNEPIN MN AMATEUR RADIO
TREES DOWN ON HOUSES AT 37TH AND 5TH AVE SO. AND ALSO AT
38TH AND 4TH AVE. SO. AND AT PORTLAND AVE SO AND 35TH
0220 PM TSTM WND DMG MINNEAPOLIS 44.96N 93.27W
08/19/2009 HENNEPIN MN EMERGENCY MNGR
ROOF OFF HOUSE, LARGE TREE BLOCKING ROAD AND POWER POLES
DOWN AT PORTLAND AND 35TH AVE SOUTH.
0220 PM TSTM WND DMG MINNEAPOLIS 44.96N 93.27W
08/19/2009 HENNEPIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
2 HOMES DAMAGED, 3 GARAGES DESTROYED, AND 2 FT DIAMETER
TREES DOWN NEAR PORTLAND AVE AND 4TH AVE SOUTH. ALSO 2
GARAGES DAMAGED AT INTERSECTION OF PARK AVE AND 47TH...
AND 2 HOUSES DAMAGED AT 48TH AND PARK AVE.
0220 PM TSTM WND DMG MINNEAPOLIS 44.96N 93.27W
08/19/2009 HENNEPIN MN EMERGENCY MNGR
LOTS OF TREES REPORTED DAMAGED FROM 4TH FRANKLIN TO 4TH
AND PORTLAND. HEARD OF REPORTED DAMAGE AT 15TH AND
PORTLAND NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
0227 PM TSTM WND DMG MINNEAPOLIS 44.96N 93.27W
08/19/2009 HENNEPIN MN AMATEUR RADIO
TIME IS RECEIVED TIME OF DAMAGE. TREES AND POLES DOWN AT
37TH AND 5TH AVE. SO. HEARD OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO
COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL ROOFS TOO.
0240 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 N HASTINGS 44.76N 92.85W
08/19/2009 WASHINGTON MN EMERGENCY MNGR
ONE ROOF OF A HOME DAMAGED AT 122ND ST COURT SOUTH.
DECK...GARAGE DOOR AND PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT ALSO DAMAGED
IN VICINITY.
0243 PM TORNADO COTTAGE GROVE 44.82N 92.93W
08/19/2009 WASHINGTON MN EMERGENCY MNGR
TORNADO ON GROUND AT HIGHWAY 61 HIGHWAY 95/MANNING AVE.
REPORTED BY DAKOTA COUNTY EOC. TREE DAMAGE AT RIVER OAKS
GOLF COURSE. ALSO COTTAGE GROVE POLICE SAW FUNNEL HIT
GROUND AND REMAIN ON THE GROUND FOR 100 YARDS NEAR LOCK
RIDGE AVE AT 240 PM. TREES UP TO 3 FEET IN DIAMETER
DOWNED AND WINDOWS BROKEN IN THIS AREA.
0246 PM HEAVY RAIN BLOOMINGTON 44.83N 93.32W
08/19/2009 U0.00 INCH HENNEPIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
NORMANDALE SERVICE ROAD FLOODED BETWEEN I494 AND WEST
84TH STR.
0250 PM TSTM WND DMG BROOKLYN PARK 45.11N 93.35W
08/19/2009 HENNEPIN MN AMATEUR RADIO
TREES DOWN AT HWY 252 AND 85TH STR.
0255 PM TSTM WND DMG MARINE ON ST CROIX 45.20N 92.77W
08/19/2009 WASHINGTON MN EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES DOWN AND TUNNEL BLOCKED ON OSTROM TRAIL NORTH/CO RD
4. TREES ALSO DOWN EAST OF TUNNEL. TIME ESTIMATED.
0255 PM HEAVY RAIN BLOOMINGTON 44.83N 93.32W
08/19/2009 U0.00 INCH HENNEPIN MN AMATEUR RADIO
ONE FOOT OF WATER ON I494 IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AT I494 AND
LYNDALE AVE. SO.
0305 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 N HUDSON 44.98N 92.74W
08/19/2009 ST. CROIX WI AMATEUR RADIO
LINE OF POWER POLES LEANING ONTO ROAD - ALMOST TOUCHING
ROAD AT COUNTY RD. A AND DORWIN RD. EVENT TIME IS
ESTIMATED.
0305 PM TSTM WND DMG HUDSON 44.97N 92.74W
08/19/2009 ST. CROIX WI AMATEUR RADIO
TREES DOWN AT COUNTY RD. UU AND LARSON LANE. TIME OF
EVENT IS ESTIMATED.
0330 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 E HUDSON 44.97N 92.72W
08/19/2009 ST. CROIX WI AMATEUR RADIO
4 INCH BRANCHES IN ROAD AND WHOLE TREES DOWN ON HWY 12
ONE HALF TO ONE MILE EAST OF HUDSON.
0343 PM HEAVY RAIN 8 WNW ISANTI 45.53N 93.41W
08/19/2009 M5.50 INCH ISANTI MN TRAINED SPOTTER
5.5 INCHES OF RAIN REPORTED BY SPOTTER IN SPENCER BROOK.
0345 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 S BRUNSWICK 45.72N 93.29W
08/19/2009 M4.40 INCH ISANTI MN TRAINED SPOTTER
RAINFALL TOTAL SINCE 330 AM.
0400 PM TSTM WND DMG NORTH BRANCH 45.51N 92.98W
08/19/2009 CHISAGO MN EMERGENCY MNGR
DAMAGE TO MIDDLE SCHOOL ROOF. BLEACHERS ALSO DRAGGED AND
OVERTURNED AT SCHOOL. TELEPHONE POLES DOWNED ALONG
HIGHWAY 95. ON EAST SIDE OF TOWN BY HWY 95...TREES UP TO
2 INCHES IN DIAMETER DOWNED AND SCATTERED SHEETS OF METAL
LAYING AROUND. TIME ESTIMATED.
0405 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 WNW BRAHAM 45.74N 93.24W
08/19/2009 M6.00 INCH KANABEC MN TRAINED SPOTTER
12 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL
0411 PM TORNADO FOREST 45.14N 92.26W
08/19/2009 ST. CROIX WI TRAINED SPOTTER
TORNADO ON GROUND AT HWY 64 AT HWY 63 INTERSECTION.
0415 PM TORNADO 2 N FOREST 45.17N 92.26W
08/19/2009 ST. CROIX WI TRAINED SPOTTER
TORNADO STILL ON GROUND AT INTERSECTION OF 270TH STR. AND
20TH AVE.
0420 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 SSE QUAMBA 45.87N 93.15W
08/19/2009 M4.40 INCH KANABEC MN TRAINED SPOTTER
RAINFALL TOTAL IN 12 HOURS. MUD CREEK IS OUT OF ITS
BANKS.
0435 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 NW ESDAILE 44.65N 92.48W
08/19/2009 PIERCE WI TRAINED SPOTTER
DAMAGE TO CROPS AND TREES AT THE INTERSECTION OF V AND D
0454 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 SSW CAMBRIDGE 45.49N 93.25W
08/19/2009 M3.50 INCH ISANTI MN TRAINED SPOTTER
RAINFALL OCCURED OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS.
0515 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 SSW CAMBRIDGE 45.49N 93.25W
08/19/2009 M3.50 INCH ISANTI MN TRAINED SPOTTER
RAINFALL OCCURED OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS.
0628 PM TORNADO 3 E SPRINGFIELD 44.24N 94.92W
08/19/2009 BROWN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
SEVERAL TRAINED SPOTTERS REPORTED SEEING FUNNEL CLOUDS
AND OCCASIONAL TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS BETWEEN SPRINGFIELD AND
LEVANWORTH. REPORTS RECEIVED BETWEEN 628 AND 643 PM.
0738 PM TORNADO 4 NW GOOD THUNDER 44.05N 94.13W
08/19/2009 BLUE EARTH MN PUBLIC
SHORT LIVED WEAK TORNADO PRODUCING NO VISUAL DAMAGE
REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC TO LOCAL MANKATO MEDIA RELAYED TO
WFO MPX.
0759 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 2 N GOOD THUNDER 44.04N 94.07W
08/19/2009 BLUE EARTH MN AMATEUR RADIO
SPOTTER LOOKING NORTH FROM COUNTY ROAD 66 ESTIMATING
FUNNEL CLOUD IS 2 MILES NORTH OF GOOD THUNDER.