 
Granite Falls Tornado Victim IdentifiedAuthorities Survey DamageGRANITE FALLS, Minn., Updated 2:46 p.m. CDT July 26, 2000 -- Authorities got their first daylight look Wednesday at the damage left behind from a tornado that killed one person in Granite Falls Tuesday night.
This afternoon authorities identified the victim of the tornado as 84-year-old Arley Swanson. About 300 homes were damaged or destroyed in the storm. Early indications are that an (F3 or F4 external Link) tornado touched down in the community of 3,000 people. The damage was centered around a 40-block radius on the city's west side. The power remained out for most of the community Wednesday morning, but gas lines are intact. "We have quite a few houses that were totally ripped off their foundation," Richard Blackwelder, deputy chief of the Granite Falls Police Department, said. "We were able to give people adequate warning." Tornado sirens were activated twice before the twister hit. WCCO-TV reported Wednesday morning that (Gov. Jesse Ventura external link) has activated the National Guard to help in Granite Falls. "Our first group of men and women arrived just before midnight," Denny Shields of the Minnesota National Guard said. "The military police are here to assist the local law enforcement with security and traffic control."
Shields said that a group of Guard engineers were also coming to help residents clean up the mess. "There are a lot of pieces of homes and buildings that are lying on the ground," Shields said. "The authorities are waiting for first light to move in and assess the real damage." A spokeswoman for the American Red Cross (external link) said that some 50 people stayed in an emergency shelter Tuesday night, an additional 500-700 people registered with the Red Cross for help. The Red Cross also has mental health workers in Granite Falls to help people deal with the tragedy. Granite Falls wasn't the only community hit by storms. A funnel cloud was also spotted above St. Bonifacius in Hennepin County. That storm did not cause as much damage. Stay tuned to Channel 4000 and WCCO-TV for continuing coverage. For More Info:
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