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Rice County was hit hard by severe weather on Thursday, with extreme winds and at least one likely tornado reported in the area about 50 miles south of the twin cities.
A tornado warning was issued at 18:22, until 19:30, with winds reaching 60 miles per hour during the peak of the storm, according to the National Weather Service.
A spokesman for the national meteorological service in the twin cities said there were at least two "probable" tornadoes in southern Minnesota, one near Medford and one near Faribault, but none could be officially confirmed. NWS investigation teams will survey the area in the morning and find other tornadoes.
"We think Faribault has had at least one tornado just north of Medford, we think there was a tornado," said meteorologist Caleb Grunzke. "There was also a video of a tornado posted just east of Granada."
Whether the tornadoes collapsed or not, the winds caused considerable damage throughout southern Minnesota.
"It looked like a tornado [around Northfield]"The Northfield Police Chief, Monte Nelson, said:" Whether it 's winds in a straight line or a tornado, that' s not really going to happen. importance, because everything is totalized. "
Nelson, himself, has suffered significant damage to his property.
"I lost my barn and half of my grove," he said. "My neighborhood east of the city is not in good shape."
Rescue teams were in full force throughout the county and beyond.
"Throughout the storm in southern Minnesota, large trees were cut down, power lines were destroyed, buildings were destroyed, houses were badly damaged," Grunzke said.
Serious damage to buildings and planes was discovered at the Faribault Municipal Airport, a possible tornado landing spot. The emergency teams had to block the airport against the "curious".
"Do not go by car and be careful.It is not safe.If people do not need to go out, they should not be," Nelson said. "Just check your own properties and your immediate neighbors to make sure everyone is fine."
Bill Bongers, who lives between Faribault and Northfield, off the road. 3, said that 15 pines were spilled in his front yard. He had gone out to his shop when the storm came.
"I was holding the door shut as she walked in. I was in the store when the overhead door exploded," Bongers said. "I did not have time to go home, it went so fast."
Bongers called it "very, very worrying," but said he was fine, as was his house and his store. However, he reported that his barn, his wood shed, his hangar and his garden shed had all been dismantled.
In Morristown, the damage was heavy. The Rice County Sheriff's Office has issued a curfew for the city starting at 10 pm Thursday at 6:30 am on Friday, asking people to stay home and only let residents in the city.
Lynnae Byers posted a photo of a badly damaged house in Morristown, where the storm was reportedly badly hit. Sandy Larson, of Faribault, said: "All the big trees are gone in our neighborhood." And Katrina Todd, of Faribault, said, "Everything by Jefferson is all torn."
Mikayla Lautenschlager shared a photo of an overturned semitrailer on the highway. 3 between Northfield and Faribault. Christine DeCoster Sickler of Northfield shared a picture of a trampoline that had landed in the middle of the street. Stephanie Howard Mahal reported a lamppost in Prairie and Jefferson.
Dozens of people shared photos of damaged and overturned trees, some with roots torn directly off the ground.
The Northfield Public Schools and Faribault Public Schools are both canceled on Friday.
Philip Weyhe and Michael Hughes of Northfield News contributed to this report. The Northfield News is part of the Adams Publishing Group, a partner of Forum News Service
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