Storms create long weekend to-do list for northern Minnesota

Stephan Hoglund, Associated Press

A road bed washed away by heavy rain Friday in Grand Marais, Minn.

Officials say travelers heading up north don't need to cancel plans after tornadoes and floods wrecked homes and closed roads.

By DAVID SHAFFER, Star Tribune

Last update: June 7, 2008 - 11:37 PM

As northern Minnesota cleaned up from Friday's storms, a new front brought tornadoes and damaging hail to central and southeastern Wisconsin and flood warnings in Minnesota.

For those heading to Grand Marais or Park Rapids, the two areas hit by severe weather Friday, major highways are open and cleanup efforts should pose no difficulties to travelers, officials said.

"Don't think you have to cancel your trip by any means," said Cook County Emergency Management Director Jim Wiinanen.

In the Park Rapids area, a tornado swept across Pickerel Lake on Friday morning, destroying five vacation homes and damaging several others, said Dave Konshok, who directs Hubbard County's emergency management.

"We have no access problems, and no damage to any hospitality facilities," he said.

One man in Wadena County was treated at a hospital for injuries in the storm, which destroyed a turkey farm there.

Hwy. 61 along the North Shore, which was down to one lane in two spots near Grand Marais because of flooding, now has both lanes open. Gushing water from Lutsen Creek and the Devil's Track River undermined shoulders that will be repaired in the coming week, said John Bray, assistant to the Duluth area district engineer for the Minnesota Transportation Department. Grand Marais is dry after being flooded Friday in the heavy downpour.

The Gunflint Trail, which goes from Grand Marais to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, also is open. Along the Arrowhead Trail, a gravel road into campgrounds on Devilfish and Esther lakes was washed out, but repairs were underway, said Aaron Mielke of the state Department of Natural Resources.

Drivers need to be cautious as crews repair shoulders and clear culverts, officials said.

At least one tornado in Hubbard County first touched down in the Hinds Lake area, south of Park Rapids, knocking down trees and damaging a few structures and tipping over a crop irrigator. Then it lifted above ground and skipped past the city, only to come to earth in the heart of the lakes region east of the city, Konshok said.

The storm cut a path 6 miles long and a quarter-mile wide, leaving the worst damage on the north and south end of Pickerel Lake, Konshok said. Crews from the DNR and other agencies were clearing downed trees in the heavily forested area, and volunteers and family members were helping property owners, he said.

Severe storms and tornadoes ripped through Wisconsin on Saturday injuring at least six people in Columbia County, north of Madison, and causing widespread damage and flash flooding.

The powerful line of storms swept across the central and southeastern parts of the state, bringing wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour and baseball-size hail that knocked down trees and power lines while blowing roofs off some homes. Up to 4 inches or more of rain also pelted the area, causing flash flooding. Officials were still trying to assess the damage.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Fargo and Wahpeton areas. It says the north-flowing Red should crest about a half-foot above flood stage in Wahpeton, and about a foot above flood stage in Fargo in the next couple of days.

The weather service also warned of flash flooding in south and central Minnesota as storms moved through those areas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. David Shaffer • 612-673-7090

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