MINNEAPOLIS - At least four tornadoes have been reported in parts of southwest and central Minnesota, according to the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities.
One tornado briefly touched down in southwest Minnesota on Tuesday afternoon, according to a trained weather spotter.
Tornado forming in pipestone. @ksfyweather @kelostormcenter @shawncable @weatherchannel #mnwx pic.twitter.com/n95B116Prf
— Blake Jasper (@bjasp22) June 14, 2016
Blake Jasper, a member of the Pipestone Volunteer Fire Department, says he was working construction about one mile west of Pipestone when, around 2 p.m., he heard tornado sirens.
"I turned around from the deck I was working on and there it was," Jasper said.
He took video and photos of the tornado which, he says, was on the ground for about 15 to 20 seconds. He says it was headed towards Pipestone, then turned north and dissipated.
Tornado taking out shed Sw of pipestone mn @shawncable @ksfyweather pic.twitter.com/rPLJwaclOu
— Blake Jasper (@bjasp22) June 14, 2016
The Pipestone County Sheriff' Office reports "moderate damage" to a farm structure. Jasper is heard on one of the videos stating the tornado "took out a shed." No injuries have been reported.
Pipestone is located about an hour northeast of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Tornadoes have also been reported near Kilkenny (Le Sueur County) as well as Waterville and Vernon Center (Blue Earth County.) The Blue Earth Sheriff's Department reports a tree fell through a house in Mankato. No one was injured.
"The ceiling filled with water and just poured down into our living room," said 88-year-old Ruth Faye. She added the wind was intense but short-lived.
Some of the storm damage we're seeing around Mankato, tonight. This tree crashed through this home's roof @KARE11 pic.twitter.com/9dPCadYxmo
— D.P. (@DPet_KARE11News) June 15, 2016
Flashing flooding has also been reported in southern Minnesota where radar estimates nearly a half foot of rain has fallen.
In Blue Earth County, the following roads will remain closed overnight due to flooding and mudslides:
- County Road 10 in Ceresco Township
- County Road 128 between County Road 30 and County Road 32
- County Road 1 (Old Highway 66) Between Skyline and County Road 90
Several severe weather watches and warnings were issued in southern and central Minnesota on Tuesday.