NWS: Confirmed EF1 Tornado Hit Bemidji On Fourth Of July
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The National Weather Service has confirmed that damage left after severe weather hit the Bemidji area early Wednesday morning was caused by a tornado.
Officials with the National Weather Service and Beltrami County Emergency Management conducted a storm survey Wednesday afternoon. Officials say there was a concentrated area of damage across the city, west of Bemidji State University.
The hardest hit area was across the central portion of the city, along 18th Street from Delton Ave. NW to Bemidji Ave. N, and was about 200 yards wide. Several trees and power lines were knocked down. Residential garages and lighter construction buildings sustained damage, and there was shingle damage to residential roofs.
Officials say after reviewing the damage, it was determined the area was hit by an EF1 tornado with winds of 90 to 100 miles per hour. Additional damage in the west and southwest area of Bemidji was likely caused by straight-line winds. Authorities say the tornado hit at about 6:30 a.m.
A retired sheriff's deputy reported a funnel cloud just west of the city moments before the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office started receiving damage reports.
Residents in the area posted images of damage to buildings on social media. The pictures show a trampoline stuck in a tree, collapsed buildings and uprooted trees.
Starting to see some pictures of wind damage in Bemidji. Trampoline in a tree & flattened garage. Several reports of downed trees and power lines. #mnwx
????: Staci Stebe-Lundberg pic.twitter.com/CcRfbnft3r
— Matt Brickman (@Matt_Brickman) July 4, 2018
There were no injuries in connection to the storms. It's the fourth significant weather event to happen in the area in six days. Beltrami County remains in a State of Emergency.