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Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News
Paul Huttner

165 mph winds? Western Minnesota tornadoes may have reached EF3 or EF4 strength

Grand Forks NWS office assessing possible multiple tornadoes

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Wednesday’s tornadoes in Grant and Otter Tail counties left a swath of damage as wide as 700 yards in some areas. The video of these twisters in a relatively clear air environment around the tornado is nothing short of mesmerizing.

As of this post, the Grand Forks National Weather Service office is still finalizing the tornado survey Wednesday’s twisters in the counties. But the preliminary information they released is eye-opening.

So far, the survey team finds the following.

  • There may have been multiple tornadoes in Grant and Otter Tail counties.

  • The most intense damage patterns may indicate EF3 or higher damage patterns.

One fatality

The tragedy of these tornadoes is that one person died and two were injured. Farm homes and infrastructure were also destroyed. Reports indicate some buildings wiped clean off the foundation. That generally means EF4 or higher tornado strength on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

https://www.weather.gov/oun/efscale
Homes destroyed in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Jackson, Miss., National Weather Service office

You can find the final report from the Otter Tail County tornadoes here from the Grand Forks NWS Office when it is issued.