Significant tornado strikes North Minneapolis

What appears to be the most significant tornado in 30 years in the city of Minneapolis tore through North Minneapolis Sunday.

Spotter reports indicate the tornado may have first touched down around 2:16pm near Wirth Park, tracked northeast through North Minneapolis then crossed the Mississippi River before lifting in Northeast Minneapolis.

Early damage reports show what appears to be a nearly continuous damage swath that may be up to 3.5 miles in length, and up to 1/4 mile wide. Damage is extensive in North Minneapolis with roofs gone, garages blown apart and numerous large trees uprooted or snapped across roadways.

My initial look at damge video indicates this may have been at least EF2 damage on the Enhanced Fujits Scale for Tornado Damage. NWS damage surveys will ultimately determine the tornado's wind speeds, but I estiamte winds may have been at least as high as 135 mph with this tornado.

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EF Scale

There are reports of one fatality and several minor injuries with the storm late Sunday afternoon.

Hook echo caught on radar:

Here is a snapshot of the NWS doppler radar (reflectivity mode) at 2:25pm CDT Sunday, just as the tornado was forming over Minneapolis.

Note the "fish hook" area inside the circle. That's the "hook echo", or the area in the storm with the developing tornadic circulation.

Hook echo clearly visible on radar Sunday over Minneapolis.

The tornado touched down minutes later, and tracked northeast.

Widespread damage:

KARE 11 aerial video shows extent of damage in North Minneapolis.

Here are spotter and damage reports from Twin Cities NWS.

MPX: Minneapolis [Hennepin Co, MN] law enforcement reports TORNADO at 02:27 PM CDT -- 29th and logan north

MPX: Fridley [Anoka Co, MN] trained spotter reports HAIL of quarter size (M1.00 INCH) at 02:30 PM CDT -- also wind damage to garden sheds at highway 100 and 694

MPX continues Tornado Warning for Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey [MN] till 3:00 PM CDT ...AT 232 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED DAMAGE WITH A TORNADO NORTH OF MINNEAPOLIS NEAR 57TH AND EMERSON IN BROOKLYN CENTER. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TREES DOWN IN NORTHWEST MINNEAPOLIS...INCLUDING THE BROOKDALE SHOPPING CENTER. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION...PLEASE TAKE COVER NOW IN NORTHERN PARTS OF THE METRO AREA.

MPX: St Paul [Ramsey Co, MN] trained spotter reports FUNNEL CLOUD at 02:37 PM CDT -- south side lake como

MPX: Fridley [Anoka Co, MN] law enforcement reports TORNADO at 02:34 PM CDT -- 51st and university avenue...roof off house

MPX continues Tornado Warning for Anoka, Ramsey [MN] till 3:00 PM CDT ...AT 236 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH A TORNADO IN BROOKLYN CENTER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TREES BLOWN DOWN AND DAMAGE AT THE BROOKDALE SHOPPING CENTER. PEOPLE LIVING IN THE NORTH SIDE OF THE METRO AREA SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW!

MPX continues Tornado Warning for Anoka, Ramsey [MN] till 3:00 PM CDT ...AT 245 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED DAMAGE AT THE ANOKA COUNTY AIRPORT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BLAINE...OR 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FOREST LAKE...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH

MPX: Fridley [Anoka Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 02:45 PM CDT -- central ave. and 73rd st 6 inch tree limbs down

MPX: Minneapolis [Hennepin Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 02:45 PM CDT -- followup report...south of 12th and upton extensive tree damage some structure damage as well...appears to be wind not tornado damage

MPX: Minneapolis [Hennepin Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 02:47 PM CDT -- 12 to 18 inch tree limbs down in theo. wirth park...spotter says posible tornado

MPX issues Tornado Warning for Dunn, Pierce, St. Croix [WI] till 3:30 PM CDT ...* AT 251 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE STORM WAS NEAR MAIDEN ROCK...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

MPX continues Tornado Warning for Anoka, Ramsey, Washington [MN] till 3:15 PM CDT ...AT 251 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A ROTATING WALL CLOUD NEAR SHOREVIEW...OR 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FOREST LAKE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

MPX: Lindstrom [Chisago Co, MN] trained spotter reports FUNNEL CLOUD at 03:42 PM CDT --

MPX: Ham Lake [Anoka Co, MN] 911 call center reports TSTM WND DMG at 03:40 PM CDT -- medium to small branches down...shingles blown off roofs

MPX continues Tornado Warning for Chisago [MN] and Polk [WI] till 4:15 PM CDT ...AT 345 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS OBSERVED MULTIPLE FUNNEL CLOUDS NEAR AND NORTH OF LINDSTROM. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF WOLF CREEK...OR 9 MILES EAST OF NORTH BRANCH...MOVING NORTH AT 35 MPH.

MPX: Forest Lake [Washington Co, MN] trained spotter reports TSTM WND DMG at 03:49 PM CDT -- tornado damage..pole barn and house with extensive damage

MPX continues Tornado Warning for Chisago [MN] and Polk [WI] till 4:15 PM CDT ...AT 342 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED MULTIPLE FUNNEL CLOUDS NORTH OF LINDSTROM MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WHICH WILL IMPACT AREAS NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF LINDSTROM.

We've dodged a few tornado bullets this spring, but not Sunday.

Expect showery weather tonight into Monday, but the threat for severe weather has shifted east.

PH