Terry Collins, Chris Havens and Pamela Miller
Star Tribune, Wednesday, July 26, 2000
 |
| A tornado touches
down in Granite Falls, tearing up a path through the town Tuesday. |
A man was killed and 15 people were injured when a tornado ripped through
Granite Falls in south-central Minnesota on Tuesday evening.
A police dispatcher said one of about five tornadoes sighted in the
area touched down just after 6 p.m. in the Yellow Medicine County town
of 3,080.
 |
| Two United Parcel
Service vans sit among debris. |
An elderly man whose house was in the twister's path was confirmed dead,
sheriff's dispatchers said. Fifteen people were treated for minor injuries
at Granite Falls Municipal Hospital, administrator George Gerlach
said.
Strong winds, rain and possible funnel clouds also were reported over
the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, but no injuries or serious damage
were reported.
Lori Evenstad, the city's jail administrator, said the tornado
ravaged the city's west end.
"About 15 to 20 percent of the city was pretty much wiped out," she
said. "It's a pretty sad sight. People were standing around in amazement
at how devastating it was. I think we're pretty lucky that we didn't have
more people hurt."
Gov. Jesse Ventura called out the National Guard for security and rescue.
Several buildings, including a treatment center for gambling and substance
abusers, a United Parcel Service shipping center and a grain elevator,
were severely damaged and thousands of trees were down, officials said.
The tornado didn't hit downtown.
 |
| Two girls hug as
they find the house of a friend destroyed after a tornado swept through. |
Snowplows were dispatched to clear roads so emergency crews could get
to the injured. Roads in and out of town not blocked by debris were closed
to speed up rescue operations, officials said. They asked that people stay
out of the area.
Evenstad said a state trooper told her that a garage from one farmstead
near Granite Falls was picked up by the twister and landed between a house
and garage at another farm. "The pickup was still in it," she said.
Odell Rude, a Granite Falls City Council member, was playing golf at
the municipal course south of town when lightning began to flash.
"I got off the course and drove up toward town," he said. "At the intersection
of [Hwys.] 23 and 212, I could see insulation pieces, some as big as blankets,
falling. And heavier stuff, too. The winds had stopped, but things were
still falling. It was so eerie."
He said that residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged were gathering
at the Granite Falls Kilowatt Community Center. He and his wife were among
scores of residents who volunteered to take in those left homeless by the
storm.
Mike Dahlin, a staff member at the community center, said that people
were flowing into the center late Tuesday.
"We'll be looking after about 15 to 20 of the folks [from the treatment
center], for starters," he said.
Dahlin said he heard the twister plow in. "That freight train sound
you hear so much about? I heard it," he said. "It roared."
Caught in a bathroom
As the storm swept in, 10 people took shelter in a small bathroom at
the Granite Falls Super America. For 10 minutes, they and three dogs crouched
there.
"We didn't hear any sirens, nothing. The skies got real dark, real fast,"
said Amanda Velde, a cashier at the store, which was without power after
the storm. "They came in yelling, 'Go to the bathroom, quick!' It was scary."
Velde said the streets were littered with insulation and broken branches.
She said many cars also were strewn with tree debris, and broken glass
lay everywhere.
Lianne Doose, a desk clerk at the Super 8 Motel on Hwy. 212, said the
tornado struck a few blocks away. Debris swirled. "Insulation, Styrofoam,
grass, everything," she said. "It's all over."
Cleanup was to begin this morning, and federal and state emergency officials
were headed for town. A community meeting was to be held at 7 a.m. today
at City Hall. A hot line was set up for people to check on the welfare
of friends or relatives. The number is 320-564-3127.
Twin Cities drenched
Weather over central Minnesota grew severe in late afternoon, with strong
winds, rain and several sightings of funnel clouds.
"Around midday we got the feeling it wasn't going to be good," said
Craig Edwards, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.
"The atmospheric conditions weren't right. There was low-level moisture
and winds at about 50 miles per hour at 15,000 feet. That was enough energy
to spin up severe thunderstorms that possibly led to the tornadoes."
Storms also hit Hennepin County. The Weather Service received reports
of a possible tornado west of St. Bonifacius about 8:25 p.m. About 45 minutes
later, the State Patrol reported a touchdown near County Rd. 73 and Interstate
Hwy. 394 near Ridgedale Mall in Minnetonka.
The Twin Cities were clear of severe weather by 10:30 p.m.
"There was potential for more touchdowns," Edwards said. "I think we
escaped some damage as far as hail and strong winds are concerned."
For the first time, the Mall of America in Bloomington advised shoppers
and employees to take shelter in the basement.
Concerned that 7 acres of skylights above Camp Snoopy could shatter,
mall officials sent out a warning at 8:50 p.m.
Hundreds of people took cover for nearly an hour, said Maureen Cahill,
mall spokeswoman. Some stores closed during the advisory.
Mall officials passed out bottled water to make people more comfortable
in the hot quarters.
"It was very organized," said Steve Freres of San Antonio, who was at
Camp Snoopy with his two sons. They walked around the basement three times
to find other family members.
About 250 diners at the California Cafe were told to go to the basement
and didn't have to pay their bills, said server Scott Conklin. The restaurant
will lose about $10,000, he said.
Today's Twin Cities forecast calls for partly sunny skies with high
of 80 degrees with a 30 percent of showers.
-- Staff writer Jon Bream contributed to this report.
