Cannon Falls Cleans Up After Destructive Storm
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The fierce storm in Cannon Falls Thursday night brought down power lines and caused giant trees to fall and slice through buildings. Incredibly, there are no reports of injuries.
Xcel Energy says 71,000 people were without power at one point. The remaining 10,000 should have power by Saturday night.
Read More: NWS Confirms 4 Tornadoes In Southern Minnesota
It is difficult to go anywhere around town. Traffic is a mess everywhere, and roads are blocked by so many tangled trees and downed power lines.
In a town of beautiful, stately, mature trees -- there is a sickening sound. The unmistakable groan of chippers and chainsaws, chewing away what Thursday's storms toppled, sending residents scrambling for shelter.
"At one point the pressure dropped and our ears were popping, and it felt really dizzy, really scary," said resident Samantha Shanley.
Before making a mess in Cannon Falls, the storm devastated the 90-year-old Far-Gaze Farm near Northfield. It crushed grain bins and scattered debris.
"And then right before the storm hit, it went dead calm," said resident Luke Moody. "It was no wind, it was dead calm. And it was … an eerie feeling to it."
Just blocks away, the John Deere dealership is in shambles. Cemetery shade trees are uprooted. Power is out across the city, forcing schools and businesses to close.
Adam Rogers had this limb puncture a living room wall. A tangled web of fallen trees that could only be safely removed with the aid of a crane.
"It just all came at once," Rogers said. "It's amazing and people who have lived here 40, 50 years have never seen anything like this."
One might think that once we get this late into the season we wouldn't have to worry about severe weather threat, or God forbid, tornadoes. But once again, Mother Nature proves that nothing is further from the truth.