25 Photos Of The Devastating Duluth Wind Storm 5 Years Ago Today

I woke up that morning not realizing how damaging the storm had been overnight. I noticed that our radio stations were off the air. I was even picking up radio signals from the Twin Cities, which I had never experienced before. It was because all the stations in Duluth were without power, and those radio waves had no interference.

Driving up the hill to Duluth I began seeing the damage. Downed trees everywhere. Neighborhoods were completely dark. As the sun came up we witnessed the damage first hand. It was one heck of a storm.

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The line of thunderstorms affected a huge area of Northern Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin. Damage was insane, and days without power and excessive heat made for a miserable experience.

As far west as Bemidji, damaging winds took their toll.

It took days of around the clock work for power crews to get the grid back going. Stores ran out of chainsaws, generators, and other tools. Roads were blocked, homes were damaged, and sadly lives were lost. The June 2012 flood was the most damaging weather event in recent years in Duluth, but this came in with a strong second place finish.