Tornadoes, floods batter central Minnesota
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — At least four tornadoes moved across central Minnesota during severe storms Monday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Parts of central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin also saw flooding due to the excessive rainfall.
More than 4 inches of rain fell in some parts of Stearns County in central Minnesota after the storms battered the area, which flooded several roadways in St. Cloud, Sartell and Waite Park.
St. Cloud Fire Department responded to vehicles stranded due to the flooding. Firefighters helped the motorists out of their vehicles and blocked the roadway to prevent traffic until the water receded.
The weather service has sent out storm survey crews to assess the tornado damage Tuesday. Based on preliminary reports, the areas in and around Litchfield, St. Cloud and Watkins were hit hardest. In Watkins, the Red Cross is now helping about 50 people who were evacuated from a nursing home Monday night.
"I've lived in this town 52 years and I’ve never seen a storm like this in our community," Keith Johnson, Litchfield's mayor, told KARE-TV.
Nine tornado warnings sounded Monday evening in Stearns County, and the county was under a flash flood warning until 11:30 p.m. Monday.
The weather service listed as much as 7.18 inches of rainfall in one location.
Benton County crews were still assessing damage Tuesday morning. County Engineer Chris Byrd said numerous gravel roads have washed out, and many are probably still underwater.
There were also reports of water over bridges in Benton County, which is north of St. Cloud.
Because the water has been rising and receding quickly, it was difficult for crews to keep up with barricades, Byrd said.
An intersection under construction in Cold Spring is full of water and needs to be pumped out, but the city escaped any damage to roads or buildings, said Mike Dockendorf, emergency services director.
Milaca, about 30 miles northeast of St. Cloud, had significant flooding from the Rum River. The riverside park at the south end of the city is entirely under water, said city manager Greg Lerud.
Water also filled the grounds around a school and some homes had water running through detached garages, he said.