Tornadoes, Hail Hit Minnesota; Flights Delayed
A rapidly developing storm system spawned tornadoes, funnel clouds and hail Sunday as it swept from west-central Minnesota through the Twin Cities area.
Tornadoes and funnel clouds were reported in several counties west of Minneapolis, and 72-mph wind was reported in St. Paul. There were isolated reports of damage, including trees toppled in the Twin Cities area, but no immediate reports of serious injuries.
The storms generated hail as large as 1 3/4 inches near Chokio, about 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
Scores of Northwest Airlines departures from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport were delayed until the storm passed, airline spokesman Thomas Becher said. Sixteen inbound flights were diverted to other airports in the region, and flights that hadn’t left their departure cities were delayed an hour.
More than 22,000 customers of Xcel Energy lost power in the Twin Cities area.
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