The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

March 19, 2012

Roofs blown off in Lake Elysian area

By Mark Fischenich The Free Press

ELYSIAN — High winds, including an unverified sighting of a tornado, were reported in the Lake Elysian area Monday night, causing roofs to be blown off buildings but resulting in no serious injuries.

The severe weather came with little warning and lasted only minutes, but it hit hard.

“Numerous roofs ripped off between Lake Elysian and Lake Francis,” the National Weather Service stated in a Local Storm Report at 7:28 p.m. “Public report of a possible tornado.”

The high winds hit at 6:36 p.m.

“They were very strong,” said Le Sueur County Emergency Management Director Ann Traxler. “A couple of people reported it may have been a tornado, but that hasn’t been verified. ... We’re going to be looking at it a little closer (today).”

The most severe damage was in the area of the two lakes, and power was lost at many lake homes, Traxler said. The City of Elysian did not lose power.

Traxler said local emergency responders and rural electric cooperatives were doing a terrific job despite that nightfall came almost immediately after the damage occurred.

The National Weather Service in Chanhassen, which issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Wisconsin later in the evening, had no warnings listed for either Waseca or Le Sueur counties, although both were part of a broad swath of southern and central Minnesota included in a hazardous weather outlook.

Despite the lack of warning, the storm’s impact appeared to be limited to property damage.

“There was no loss of life and we had no need for sheltering,” Traxler said.

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