Storm Hits Rochester Area With 60 MPH Plus Winds and Large Hail
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A storm packing winds topping 60 miles per hour and baseball size hail roared through the Rochester area in the early evening.
The National Weather Service issued a severe storm warning just before 5 PM after a storm cell developed in Dodge County and pounded Dodge Center, Kasson, and several other communities with damaging hail, winds and heavy rains. Reports from Dodge County put some of the hail at baseball size and slightly larger. The storm moved into Rochester a short time later and produced a wind gust of 64 mph at the Rochester Airport, although it appears most of the city was spared from the large hail. There have been reports of downed and damaged trees throughout Rochester, resulting in numerous scattered power outages across the city.
Nearby, there was a report of a 70 mph wind gust in Chatfield and a report of 75 mph winds in Northfield.
The same line of storms caused the National Weather Service to issue tornado warnings in Goodhue County in the Red Wing area. At last report, there had not been any reports of any actual tornado sightings or damage.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.