1 Dead, Others Injured Amid Twin Cities Tornado; Section Of N. Mpls. Under Curfew

Our thoughts are with the families to our south suffering through this difficult time.  While we had unfavorable weather in the Northland, we can be grateful we didn't have the severe weather they experienced in Minneapolis.  It appears the fatality occurred near 37th and Fremont Avenues and the person killed was in their car.

A huge storm system spawned at least three tornado touchdowns as it moved northeast across the Twin Cities metro area Sunday afternoon, killing one person in particularly hard-hit north Minneapolis and critically injuring two others among 29 needing medical attention.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Police Chief Tim Dolan said early Sunday night that a large section of north Minneapolis -- roughy 4 square miles -- was being put under a curfew to help emergency personnel move around and to combat potential looting of damaged homes and businesses.

The curfew was scheduled to run from 9 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday and cover from Interstate 94 west to Penn Avenue and from Plymouth Avenue north to Dowling Avenue. Anyone trying to enter that area will have to show identification first, the mayor and the police chief said. Also, residents within that perimeter must stay in their homes “for their own safety,” said city spokesman Matt Laible.

“We don’t want any looting,” Dolan said, explaining the need for the curfew. “There’s property strewn all over. There are wires down. There’s not much lighting. It’s for people’s safety and for the safety of people’s property.”

Rybak said the curfew was scheduled to last three days but that time frame is subject to evaluation.

Rybak and City Council Member Barbara Johnson got an aerial view from a helicopter. The mayor described the damage as “widespread and significant.” City officials said at least 100 homes were damaged, some of them totaled.

Power at one point was out to about 22,000 Xcel Energy customers across the metro area, with that number shrinking to 8,000 by 8 p.m. Most of the failures were concentrated in north Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Brooklyn Center and Fridley.

Read the complete, detailed story and see photo gallery via 1 dead, others injured amid tornado; section of N. Mpls. under curfew | StarTribune.com.