Huge tornadoes touch down in Midwest
Massive tornadoes touched down in parts of South Dakota and Minnesota, causing major damage.
Multiple tornadoes ripped through South Dakota and Minnesota over the weekend, leaving thousands without power and causing damage across both states.
In Minnesota, storms swept across much of the central and southern parts of the state. According to the National Weather Service, tornadoes began touching down at around midnight local time on Sunday, June 29.
At least four tornadoes were spotted near Minneapolis June 29, Mike Griesinger, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service Twin Cities office, previously told USA TODAY.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, but the storms left more than 50,000 people without power in the area.
“I counted about 15 or 16 mature pines that are down. A tree fell on my truck. Another collapsed the backside of our garage,” Kyle Brindlinger told MPR News. “Our house is going to look different forever.”
In South Dakota, tornado sirens were active on the afternoon of Saturday, June 28 into Sunday. According to local news station Dakota News Now, the storms left extensive damage, sending hundreds at the Buffalo Ridge Resort and Spa packing into restaurants and tunnels for shelter.
“A lot of people were anxious,” Sara Guest told Dakota News Now. “We calmed them down as much as we could. The kids, a lot of animals and the elderly. When we were in the tunnels, we kept them as comfortable as possible.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.