Large hail, flooding and tornadoes in latest round of storms

A strong line of summer thunderstorms plowed across southern Minnesota Friday night, flooding streets and highways, dropping large hail and knocking out power for thousands.

No injuries or major damage was reported in the state's second series of strong storms in little more than a week. A tornado outbreak on June 17 left three people dead and tornadoes flattened large parts of Wadena, Minn.

While funnel clouds and at least two tornadoes were reported to the National Weather Service, the state appeared to escape any large-scale damage.

Flash flooding left many motorists stranded or delayed as water quickly filled residential streets in Minneapolis and highways across the metro area.

State troopers closed a section of Highway 169 at Medicine Lake and Interstate 35W at 42nd Street due to water covering the roads.

At the Wedge Co-op on Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis, employees had to build a makeshift levee and break out the buckets after water started spilling into the grocery store from the street. A few people took a more light-hearted approach to the weather and used the flooded streets as a opportunity to paddle their kayaks.

In the metro area, Xcel Energy reported about 29,000 outages due to the storm.

Outside of the metro, high winds and hail damaged trees and downed utility poles in Brown County.

Several funnels clouds and tornadoes were reported -- in Blue Earth, Marshall Lafayette and Redwood Counties -- but there were no immediate reports of major damage.

In Nicollet, Minn., spotters reported 70 mph winds and softball-size hail. One- to two-inch hail was reported across the great metro area.

(MPR reporters Rupa Shenoy, Tim Nelson, Brandt Williams and Anna Weggel contributed to this report.)

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