Cleanup of damaged buildings, downed trees and mangled power lines continued in northern Minnesota on Sunday, in the wake of severe storms that walloped the region early Saturday.
The storms produced winds of more than 100 mph — equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane. More strong storms were in the forecast for Sunday.
As of Sunday morning, more than 15,000 homes and businesses remained without power in northern Minnesota from Saturday’s storms. That was down from more than 50,000 in the immediate wake of the severe weather.
Line crews from elsewhere in the state were helping local utilities restore power in Bemidji, Cass Lake, Bagley, Mahnomen and surrounding areas.
“The remaining repairs are extensive, with more broken poles discovered as work continues,” Beltrami Electric Cooperative reported late Saturday night. “This storm has caused some of the worst damage our communities have seen in decades.”
The utility noted that in good conditions — when crews don’t have to cut through downed trees to access it — it takes four line workers about four hours to replace a single utility pole.
“We are still tallying and don’t have a total number of broken poles yet, but there are dozens,” the co-op reported.
Otter Tail Power said it had about 55 line workers making repairs in Bemidji, where thousands of customers remained without power Sunday. The utility said some parts of the city may be without power for several days. It was also contending with another round of storms moving through the region on Sunday morning that had caused new outages to the south, near Fergus Falls.
Wild Rice Electric and Clearwater-Polk Electric Cooperative were among the other utilities hit hard by the storms.
State of emergency
The city of Bemidji and Beltrami County each declared states of emergency in the wake of the storms. It’s a needed step to access additional resources for storm response and recovery efforts.
Saturday’s storm uprooted a tree and an attached headstone on the west end of Greenwood Cemetery, as shown here on Sunday in Bemidji, Minn. (Mathew Holding Eagle III / MPR News)
The city’s proclamation noted that the storms caused “catastrophic loss to property and the environment.”
The National Weather Service’s Grand Forks office sent a crew to survey the damage in Bemidji. As of late Saturday, it had not yet determined whether it was caused by a tornado or straight-line winds — or some combination of both.
As thousands of residents in the region started a second day without power, temperatures were forecast to climb back into the 90s on Sunday.
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe opened cooling shelters on Saturday amid the hot weather and power outages — including at Northern Lights Casino near Walker, and Cedar Lakes Casino in Cass Lake. Water was being distributed to those in need, as tribal police officers and others worked to clear downed trees.
After the winds of Saturday’s storm, a street sign remains where it fell a day later in Bemidji, Minn. (Mathew Holding Eagle III / MPR News)
Leech Lake officials asked people to check on their neighbors — in particular elders and people with health conditions.
Beltrami County reported that its demolition landfill had extended its hours to accept storm debris. County officials urged residents to be careful to protect their health and safety — and their wallets — during the cleanup.
“Please use caution as you clear debris and help your neighbors,” Beltrami County reported in a news release late Saturday. “Be wary of potential scammers doing nefarious business following a disaster. Review documents before you enter contracts and if you feel rushed, maybe wait and go with a reputable business.”
Train derailed
Southeast of Bemidji, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday’s storms appear to have led to a train derailment in Cass Lake.
The sheriff’s office said its initial investigation indicated the strong winds pushed rail cars parked in the BNSF yard in Cass Lake to the east, causing five cars to derail.
“The cars are reported empty and there is no threat to public safety or the environment from this incident. BNSF is working with contractors to correct the derailment,” the sheriff’s office reported Saturday.
North Dakota storms
Intense storms also swept across much of North Dakota late Friday and early Saturday, spawning several tornadoes — including one that killed three people near the community of Enderlin, about 35 miles southwest of Fargo.
The National Weather Service said that tornado was rated an EF-3 or stronger — meaning winds potentially greater than 165 mph.
“Our hearts and sympathies go out to the family and friends of the three North Dakotans who tragically lost their lives in Friday’s tornado, and to the close-knit community in Enderlin, which suffered widespread damage,” North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong said in a statement Saturday. “We thank our dedicated first responders and community leaders, including our many volunteer first responders, for their swift action to keep residents safe and help them recover.”
The state said the storms caused two train derailments. The Enderlin tornado derailed a dozen empty tanker cars, while another derailment of grain cars was reported in Traill County, between Fargo and Grand Forks.
Thousands of people remained without power across eastern North Dakota on Sunday.
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More storms Sunday
A severe thunderstorm watch issued Sunday morning for northwest Minnesota — including Bemidji, as well as Moorhead, Crookston and Roseau. It was slated to run through 2 p.m. and also covered much of eastern North Dakota.
The National Weather Service said storms moving through the region could once again produce damaging winds along with large hail and possibly a few tornadoes.
Much of the rest of Minnesota was also at risk for strong storms Sunday into early Monday.
