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Waterville still without power after tornado

The city has issued a temporary curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. until the electrical system is back up and running.

WATERVILLE, Minn-- Residents in Waterville are still without power after a tornado ripped through town Thursday night.

The city has issued a temporary curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. until the electrical system is back up and running.

Deputies with the Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office are helping out with security during the curfew.

"They're talking days before we see any power," city spokesman Dan Guarrero says.

Electrical crews have already replaced a half dozen electrical poles on main street, but Guarrero says it won't do much good until they get the power grid fixed.

"I'm told it was destroyed in the storm," Guarrero says. "And a lot of the contract crews have been sent to south and north Carolina to handle Florence."

Despite not having power, residents have been working nonstop since the storm went through.

Guarrero says all corners of the city saw damage, but the worst damage can be found at the Kamp Dels RV park.

"Every time you turn the corner it just gets worse and worse," park manager Grant Pope says.

Dozens of RVs were flipped and tossed around like toys during the storm.

Pope says only about a dozen people were around at the time, because their season just ended.

Had the storm hit earlier this summer he says there could have been hundreds of people in harms way.

"You can go through town and there's not an injury," Pope says. "Not a soul got hurt, which in the end of the day is the most important thing."

City officials are asking residents to bring all brush and downed trees to an open lot on South Reed Street, across from the city's maintenance facility.

All other debris can can be dropped off at the city lot across the street from the library.

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