Tornadoes Rip Through Upper Midwest, Damaging Dozens of Homes

Communities across the Upper Midwest are cleaning up after tornadoes and severe weather impacted the region over the weekend, damaging and destroying dozens of homes and knocking out power for tens of thousands. "Numerous" severe storms were tracked across parts of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. At least 66 tornado reports were submitted in multiple states including Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and Iowa, the NWS Quad Cities IA/IL office said Sunday. No deaths have been reported from the severe weather and tornado outbreak. In Marion Township in Minnesota, about 30 homes were damaged and a dozen have significant damage because of a tornado, according to the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office. The tornado also damaged at least 20 homes in Stewartville and there is a temporary shelter in Rochester for people displaced by the storms, according to MPR News. "Tornado disaster recovery continues to occur at full speed," the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office said on Saturday. In Illinois, McClean County officials declared a disaster emergency because of severe storms in Bloomington. "At this time, no injuries have been reported, and emergency response agencies remain actively engaged to ensure public safety and continuity of essential services," officials said in a statement. But further north in the village of Lena, an EF-2 tornado caused the "most significant damage" where "many homes and outbuildings were damaged, trees uprooted, and power lines downed," the NWS said. Numerous roads have also been blocked by debris, the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office also said. There have been no fatalities and no reports of serious injuries associated with the storm, Chief Deputy Andy Schroeder from the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office told NPR on Sunday. More than 43,000 customers lost power in Illinois but power was restored to almost all of them by Saturday night, according to electric utility ComEd. Several tornadoes also occurred across Wisconsin, according to the NWS office in La Crosse. Twenty-six tornado warnings were issued by the office on Friday, the most in one day since the weather service office was built in 1995. In one Marathon County town, 75 homes were destroyed by a tornado, according to Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman. "It took out a whole residential area," Kielman said, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The American Red Cross of Wisconsin said volunteers are helping those impacted by the storm with meals, shelter and support. Parts of the state are still dealing with multiple rounds of severe weather and tornadoes from earlier in the week that brought flooding to some communities.