Wednesday night was full of damage, with almost 20 tornado reports in Southern Minnesota. Out of these, two were confirmed that touched the ground in Hartland and near Lewiston.
A 65-year-old was found dead in Olmsted County when a tree fell on him and his truck. It is claimed that the identity of the man is Keith Alan Dickman. The man got injured and was taken to the hospital, where he breathed his last.
The damage scenes are described as “historic and unreal.” The severity of the storm was felt by everyone as there were straight-lined winds. All this leads to massive destruction of houses, streets, trees, public property, etc.
The power supply of around 10 thousand houses and businesses was disrupted. After the storm, the utility crew workers were up for their repair work.
Stewartville, south of Rochester, is considered the area that faced the storm at its worst. The power supply of the people of Southern Minnesota was disrupted till the next day’s evening.
Mike Kurz, a meteorologist, said, “A historic, record-breaking system, for sure,” “Things could have been a whole lot worse had it been in the middle of summer with trees leafed out and more susceptible to damage.”
Kurz also added, “It was bad enough just without that, but for this being in mid-December with these kinds of ingredients, it was just remarkable from a meteorological standpoint.”
The weather service spontaneously tweeted, urging people to take shelter calmly. There were also reports of 300 severe winds and 19 tornadoes. There are reports that the speed of the wind was 70mph, moving northeast.
Mayor Kirk Crespin said, “It’s been an interesting day here in Lamar, and a record-breaking day for wind,” “Gusts have caused widespread damage.”
When asked about the repair of damage and safety of people, Crespin said,
“We have tree damage and electrical lines down as well as the internet. We are working hard to keep everyone safe.” “We will have a lot of damage to repair when the winds die down.”
As these winds were reported to be the earliest and first in December, more such tornadoes are possible.
Officer Keli Cain of Oklahoma Emergency Management Public Information said, “The other big issue that we have is just simply the high winds. We have a high wind warning that is in effect for several counties in Northwest Oklahoma. And then we have a wind advisory that is in effect for most of the rest of the counties in Oklahoma,”
Cian noted that there are reports of many broken roofs and a huge problem with power lines.
Cian said, “people need to be especially careful with any activities that could spark a wildfire because winds are very, very high, and it can get out of control very quickly.”
Safety measures in Tornado
The National weather service updated its information to protect the people from the harshness of this natural calamity.
You must avoid windows if you own a house with a basement or without a basement.
Following are some instructions to follow for safety during a tornado:
- If your house has a basement, go into it.
- Do not be near heavy objects which might fall on you and hurt you.
- Cover yourself with thick material like a blanket etc.
- Do not be under the ceiling fan.
- If you live in an apartment, go to the lowest floor.
- By any chance, if you live in a mobile home, you might be in great danger. The best thing is to move out of there and take shelter somewhere else.
- Always drive away from the tornado if you ever see it while driving.
- You may lie with your face down if you are outdoor.
Add Comment