Severe thunderstorms cause havoc in Minnesota by Rob McElwee
It was a wild afternoon for the residents of Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro area yesterday as severe thunderstorms ripped through the area leaving a trail of destruction.
Heavy rain, strong winds and hail pounded the area damaging buildings, knocking down trees and giving rise to local flash flooding. The hailstones, some of which were the size of tennis balls, caused extensive damage to cars and properties in the area.
There were reports of a tornado which touched down briefly in Goodhue county, southeast of the Twin Cities, which tore down many trees, but there were no injuries or damage to property.
There was chaos on the roads in and around the Twin Cities as power cuts switched traffic lights off, and fallen trees and flooding blocked many main roads. Dozens of schools were closed for the day and energy companies said over 14000 customers were left without power.
Further thunderstorms and heavy downpours have been forecast to develop after midnight for parts of southern and central Minnesota which pose the threat of more damage to some areas.
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