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4 confirmed tornadoes in MN from Monday’s storm
The National Weather Service confirms at least four tornadoes hit Minnesota on Monday. The storms left damage across the southern portion of the state. FOX 9's meteorologist Cody Matz has more on the tornadoes.
ST. JAMES, Minn. (FOX 9) - The National Weather Service confirms at least four tornadoes hit southern Minnesota on Monday when storms swept through the state, leaving damage in its path.
Tornadoes from Monday
The NWS survey crews confirmed four tornadoes ranked as EF-1, touched down in St. James, Janesville, south of Waseca, and the Twin Lakes/Emmons region.
The first tornado touched down just before 5:30 p.m. northwest of St. James. It had winds up to 100 mph and traveled just over 2 miles. Surveyors found crop damage, uprooted trees and a power pole damaged.
About 45 minutes later, the second twister landed just west of Janesville. It had 105 mph winds and traveled just over 6 miles. At the last minute, it turned southward and missed hitting the city.
The damage surveyed included a blown-in garage door, uprooted trees, and downed power poles.
After that tornado lifted, the same supercell went on to produce another tornado just before 7 p.m. south of Waseca. The tornado was on the ground for just over a mile and knocked over multiple trees.
About an hour later, near Twin Lakes near the Iowa Border, the final tornado touched down, reaching winds of 105 mph and creating a 6-mile-long damage path. This tornado caused damage to a silo and several outbuildings.
No injuries or deaths were reported from these tornadoes.
The NWS continues to assess videos, pictures and damage from Monday, so more tornadoes could be confirmed in the day ahead.
EF-1 tornadoes
The NWS ranked all four tornadoes from Monday’s storms as EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. An EF-1 is considered a "moderate" tornado with winds ranging from 86 to 110 mph.
The scale ranges from EF-0 to EF-5. An EF-0 is a "weak" tornado with winds of 65-85 mph, while an EF-5 is considered "catastrophic" with winds of 200+ mph.
Tornadoes in Minnesota
Minnesota, on average, has 42 tornadoes per year. So far, there have only been 14 confirmed tornadoes in 2024.
July is typically the busiest month for tornadoes — only one was confirmed in July 2024.