Cleanup continues after storms lash Minnesota

(AP) Crews worked Tuesday to clean up after a line of storms rumbled through the state the night before, dropping large hail, blowing down trees and damaging buildings - and the weather forecast had a chance of more storms later in the week.

The National Weather Service said there was a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms hitting the Twin Cities on Wednesday, with a slight chance of more storms on Friday. Damage from weekend storms was still visible in parts of the metro area.

The line of storms overnight Monday moved in from the northwest, first hitting the Brainerd area in central Minnesota then moving southeast into the Twin Cities. No injuries were reported.

In Brainerd on Tuesday, the Crow Wing Power cooperative had brought in extra crews to help restore power to the area. Spokeswoman Char Kinzer said 7,700 customers were in the dark at 9 p.m. Monday. The total had shrunk to 2,500 by Tuesday morning.

Kinzer said the company expected power to be restored throughout the area by Tuesday evening. "It was probably the most extensive damage we've had of any storm this year," Kinzer said.

She said four crews were brought in from neighboring power cooperatives. Another four crews of private contractors were also working Tuesday, since the Crow Wing Power crews worked all night.

Kinzer said along with trees knocking down power lines, the thunderstorm knocked down large transmission lines and power substations.

North Central Speedway owner Cliff Sasker was home in Onamia - about 30 miles from Brainerd - when promoter Peggy Jensen called to tell him the 152-foot, two-story building housing 16 viewing booths and skyboxes was destroyed by the storm and the wreckage ruined much of the grandstand below it.

"I was shocked," Sasker said.

Tuesday's Late Model Challenge Series was canceled. Sasker said they hope to get the track cleaned up for Saturday's races.

A building housing several businesses along Highway 371 was torn apart by the storm, with twisted sheet metal strewn about and the roof collapsed in a heap in front of the building.

"It was really scary," said Joey Beltran, 10, who was in the building with his father and younger brother. "The roof started coming down while I was at the window. Everything started coming down. It was scary, very scary,"

Joey said his dad, Bob Beltran, used a knife to cut through the screen door but the roof blocked their way out. They finally were able to get out through the back of the building, he said.

The weather service reported 24-hour rainfall totals of just over 2 inches at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The small town of Morrill, about 22 miles northeast of St. Cloud, got just over 4 inches, the weather service said.

There were numerous reports of winds over 60 mph in central Minnesota and the metro area, and scattered reports of 2-inch hail. There were several reports of the wind toppling 6-inch trees. Hundreds more trees were damaged.

In the metro area, there were about 20,600 Xcel Energy customers still without power late Tuesday morning. The company said it planned to restore power to nearly all of its customers by Tuesday night.

The new storms moved in just two nights after other thunderstorms pelted central Minnesota and the Twin Cities area with winds that reached 70 to 80 miles per hour, damaging trees and knocking down power lines.

More than a quarter-million Twin Cities residents were without power after the storm early Saturday, though that number had dwindled to about 5,000 by late Monday night.

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