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Neighbors have been helping neighbors in rural Rock County this week after tornado-like weather ripped through southwest Minnesota around 2:30 a.m. Monday.
There have so far been no reports of injuries, but property damage has been extensive, with reports of trees falling on houses and vehicles, downed powerlines and outages, and livestock buildings and machine shops either collapsed or missing rooftops.
After a sleepless night of violent wind and rain, Rock County residents on Monday afternoon were again sent to basements and tornado shelters when a tornado was spotted on the ground south of Jasper headed east.
The storms dropped nearly two inches of rain, which was welcome in most parts of the county, which has been on the dry side this spring. However, wet fields and muddy farm yards have complicated cleanup efforts.
In most cases, pieces and parts of grain bins, machines and other destroyed structures were scattered for miles in area fields, most of which had been freshly planted with corn and soybeans just beginning to emerge.
While some large hail was reported Monday afternoon, it appears local crops were mostly spared.
According to Rock County Emergency Management Director Kyle Oldre, three separate storms came through — one around 2:30 a.m., another midday and a third later in the afternoon.
“Three cells came through with varying degrees of power and impact,” Oldre said.
“But they each certainly carried a punch.”
He said the county will seek disaster assistance to receive aid for public utility companies.
L & O Power Co-Op in Rock Rapids, which feeds power to Rock County, lost 12 to 15 transmission poles southwest of Luverne.
Sioux Valley Energy reported 25 damaged distribution and transmission poles, estimating nearly $100,000 in repairs.