At Least Two Tornadoes Tear Through Northwestern Minnesota

About 37,000 Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston County residents were left without power after a line of storms tore through the area Friday evening.

A severe thunder storm warning is still in effect for Wayne County, with strong winds and rains expected until about 1 a.m. The weather is exected to clear up by Saturday morning, with the possibility of more severe thunder storms late in the afternoon.

Elsewhere in the Midwest, tornados have touched down northwest of Chicago near Racine, Wis. Eight or nine tornados also touched down this evening in southwest Missouri, to the south of St. Louis. Other touchdowns were reported in Illinois, just east of St. Louis.

A tornado raked a half-mile-wide path of
destruction in northwestern Minnesota, where a house overlooking
Pickerel Lake near Emmaville was destroyed, it's contents spilling down
the hill. Wooden chairs and tables were floating below. Nearby was a
concrete slab the size of a two-car garage, but whatever structure once
sat on it was blown away.

Flooding forced the
evacuation of about a dozen homes in the central Iowa town of
Cambridge, while areas to the southwest saw some of their roads and
buildings re-emerge from subsiding waters in a much-needed respite from
severe weather.

Heavy rains that began
Thursday night seeped into most basements and at least one foundation
collapsed, said Lori Morrissey, Story County's emergency management
coordinator.

"The ground is just fully
saturated," Morrissey said. "The runoff from the community just all
comes to that part of town. This is probably the worst it's ever been."

In
Illinois, the Chicago Department of Aviation said high winds and storms
were causing delays and cancellations at the city's airports.

Delays
Friday night at O'Hare International Airport were averaging two hours,
and more than 200 flights were canceled. At Midway International
Airport, some flights were delayed 20 minutes.

At
least two and possibly more tornadoes ripped through Hubbard County in
north central Minnesota this morning destroying several homes and
damaging others while also felling scores of trees and power lines, and
pushing cars into the ditch.

Violent weather was not confined just to that area of the state.
Heavy rains - one to two inches - in some spots led to widespread
flooding in Lake and Cook counties in northeastern Minnesota and
warnings from law enforcement for residents to stay off water-covered
roads.

Hubbard County Sheriff Gary Mills says there are also no reports
of missing persons.

The National Weather Service reported a half-mile wide path of
destruction north of Park Rapids and there's reports of significant
property damage near Emmaville.

Mills says they got first word of a tornado about 9:15 a.m.

south of Park Rapids. Deputies followed it north and it eventually
split in two.

While most of the reported damaged was downed trees, there were
also reports of cars in ditches, roof damage and destroyed turkey
plant.

A
strong storm packing at least one tornado raked a half-mile-wide path
of destruction in northwestern Minnesota, ripping up roofs and trees
and pushing cars off the road Friday, the National Weather Service said.

Hubbard
County emergency officials said there were no reports of any injuries
in the storm, which caused widespread damage in Park Rapids and
Emmaville.

"Right now, I can tell you we've been fortunate," Sheriff Gary Mills said.

ARK RAPIDS, Minn. (AP) — The National Weather Service says a tornado has raked a half-mile-wide "path of destruction" in northwestern Minnesota.

Hubbard County emergency officials say there are no reports of any injuries in Friday's storm.

Authorities say the storm caused widespread roof damage in Park Rapids, and cars were reported in a ditch near Emmaville.

Emmaville resident Drew Huntziger says every tree in his yard is uprooted and his mobile home is damaged. He says his neighbor lost big metal shed.