Rapidly changing weather spawned multiple tornadoes Friday afternoon in southeast Minnesota, with reports coming in from the Rochester area, including Hayfield, Marion, Sargeant, Stewartville and Elgin. At least one tornado was confirmed to have touched down.
The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office said no injuries were reported, but about 30 to 50 families were affected as the storms tore through homes and farm fields. A traffic management camera appeared to catch a ropy tornado forming near the Rochester International Airport, while residents shared footage of downed trees, wrecked homes and cyclones barreling across the countryside.
The damage spread across several townships and cities. In Marion Township, about 30 homes were damaged and 12 had significant damage. In Stewartville, about eight homes reported major damage and 14 more sustained minor to major damage. Quincy Township had damage to one home and a shed was severely damaged on another property, while High Forest Township had two damaged homes.
Officials responded quickly as the scale of the storm became clearer. The Olmsted County Board issued a disaster declaration, emergency services disconnected electricity and natural gas in the affected areas, and a temporary shelter was set up at Autumn Ridge Church in Rochester for anyone who needed a place to stay.
The storm damage now stands as a local emergency, not just a weather event, because the count of affected families and homes is already high enough to force county-level response. Olmsted County also asked residents with damage to complete a preliminary damage assessment through the county website or by emailing sheriffweb@olmstedcounty.gov, a sign that the tally is still being built and the recovery effort has only started.
For families in Marion Township and Stewartville, the next step is not the forecast but the cleanup, the paperwork and the question of what can be repaired before the next round of severe weather reaches Minnesota.
