Tornado Spotted in Plainview – 66 MPH Winds in Rochester
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - There have been numerous witness reports of a tornado touchdown in the Plainview area late this afternoon while a line of strong storms marched across the southeastern corner of the state. At last report, there have not been any reports of significant damage from the twister.
That storm, and the second round of storms that hit the Rochester area around 7pm, produced heavy rain and strong winds throughout the region. The National Weather Service says a 66 mile per hour gust was recorded at the Rochester Airport at 7:10 p.m., and a trained spotter reported a 64 mile per hour gust and pea sized hail near Apache Mall around 7:20 p.m. There were a number of reports of gusts between 45 and 55 miles per hour in the Rochester area. The same line of storms brought down large trees and power lines in northeastern Iowa and produced an 80 mile per wind gust in Grant County Wisconsin.
The line of storms that hit in the late afternoon resulted in significant tree damage in Wabasha, and produced numerous reports of one-inch and nearly one-inch hail in parts of Houston, Winona and Wabasha Counties. It appears the heaviest damage occurred in northeast Iowa and southwestern Wisconsin. The National Weather Service received reports of trees down on houses and cars in Trempealeau near Winona. There were also reports of numerous downed trees in Charles City Iowa, where many roads were described as impassible.