Severe Storms Trigger Tornado Warnings In Central Minnesota

UNDATED (WJON News) -- The National Weather Service is looking into at least four reported tornado touchdowns in Minnesota.

Meteorologist Jake Beitlich says a strong, low-pressure system brought gusty winds and severe storms to parts of the state on Thursday.

Tornadoes were reported far northwest by Grand Forks and Crookston, west central Minnesota near Benson, a “skinny-rope” tornado near Montevideo, and another near Spring Hill.

Stearns County Emergency Management Director Erin Hughes tells WJON News there were no reports of damage in Stearns County during Thursday's storms.

The National Weather Service issued A Tornado Warning for the funnel cloud spotted near the Spring Hill/Melrose area.

A second tornado warning was issued later for northeast Stearns County up into Morrison and Benton County for communities like Sartell and Rice and Watab Township.

Beitlich says there was damage in the Benson area.

There was some damage near the Benson area in Swift County, where a farmstead was hit by a tornado, and some damage to some sheds out there.

The National Weather Service says they received photos and damage reports from the line of storms that moved through western Minnesota, including in Chippewa, Swift, and western Stearns counties. They plan to have more details after they finalize the damage assessments.

Strong storms across the border in Wisconsin also

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Besides the tornado reports, Three-quarters inch of hail fell in Isanti and near Zimmerman in Sherburne County.

No one was injured from the storms.

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