Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Weather update: Tornado touches down near Faribault April 29, 2025

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 11:18 AM
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These are the most menacing (at least to me) clouds I’ve ever photographed. I shot this image in July 2011 on a friend’s country acreage between Faribault and Nerstrand. I don’t have any photos from yesterday as I was hunkered in my basement. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2011)

I OWE YOU a weather report.

The much-touted level 4 risk (out of 5) of severe storms here yesterday did not materialize. At least not in Faribault. But just to the east it did. A confirmed tornado touched down southeast of town in Richland Township, destroying several farm buildings and damaging a silo on a neighboring farm. That’s close enough for me. I feel badly for that farm family. Property damage was also reported by the Rice County Sheriff’s Department near Morristown, which is southwest of Faribault.

While that was happening, Randy and I were sheltering in our basement after warning sirens sounded just before 5:30 p.m. I’d prepared, earlier in the day gathering documents and items (yes, including my camera and Randy’s hearing aids) that I didn’t want blown away in a storm. My retired National Weather Service friend, who grew up in southwestern Minnesota, was keeping me updated on the weather throughout the day.

“PLEASE, JUST GET HOME.”

The biggest issue for me was that Randy was not yet home when the emergency sirens went off. I’d tried several times to reach him at work late Monday afternoon to warn him of the bad weather moving into our area. But his cellphone mostly doesn’t work inside the pole shed style garage in the countryside near Randolph. I texted and called numerous times in hopes that he might actually be in a part of the building with cell reception. I finally resorted to phoning the main garage in nearby Cannon Falls. Ideally, whoever answered could ring up Randy in the machine shop. That didn’t happen.

While I wanted Randy home, I really just wanted him safe. A pole shed, with no place to shelter, offers no protection during a storm. And I had no idea how weather-aware he was staying. Probably not too much given he’s swamped at work. He can’t hear warning sirens either.

In the end, it all worked out. Randy pulled into the driveway after sirens had been sounding for awhile. He’d stopped at the Faribault compost pile to drop off plant debris rather than driving directly home. Really? While sirens are wailing and a storm is moving in?

THREE LAUGHING EMOJIS

I recognize that Randy doesn’t fear storms. He doesn’t have the storm history that I do. I’m the one hustling us to the basement. It’s a bit of a joke with our adult kids. The second daughter, who lives in Madison, Wisconsin, texted yesterday, “Randy, get in the basement!” with three laughing emojis. Humor helps in a tense situation.

Many Minnesotans were not laughing yesterday as storms rolled in with tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings resulting in damaging winds and hail and that confirmed tornado between Faribault and Kenyon.

FEELING GRATEFUL THIS MORNING

This morning the sun is shining, popping through massive clouds in a deep blue sky. Crisp, cool air has replaced the heat and humidity of yesterday. Snow even fell in parts of northern Minnesota. Yesterday’s storms are behind us. I, for one, am thankful that strong tornadoes did not develop, that the National Weather Service and Twin Cities TV meteorologists prepared us and kept us informed, that my NWS friend, Brad, updated me and that Randy finally got home. Now, if only his cellphone would work inside that pole shed a 32-minute drive away. I’d feel much better next time severe weather rolls in.

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TELL ME: If you live in Minnesota or a neighboring state, did you experience any storms and/or storm damage on Monday? How do you react to storms, including warning sirens going off?

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Expecting severe weather in parts of Minnesota, maybe even “strong tornadoes” April 27, 2025

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 2:47 PM
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Surveying the destruction at Tracy Elementary School, which was destroyed by a June 13, 1968, F5 tornado. (Photo by The Tracy Headlight Herald and courtesy of Scott Thoma)

FOR DAYS NOW WE’VE HEARD the warnings and been advised to prepare for impending bad weather in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service website as of early Sunday afternoon: Regardless of the risk level, an episode of dangerous weather is likely Monday, with all hazards possible…

The NWS breaks that weather threat down to include tornadoes (a few strong), large hail, damaging winds and frequent lightning. OK, then. I’m listening.

I live in southern Minnesota, which is under a “moderate” risk of severe storms. Now that word choice may not sound all that threatening until you consider that “moderate” ranks as number four on a scale of one to five. “High” risk, #5, tops the scale. Central and eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin fall in this “moderate” risk area for severe weather.

Weather forecasters seem pretty confident in their predictions. So I have to go with what they’re saying and remain watchful and informed. And stay in contact with my friend Brad, a Minnesota native who lives in North Carolina and is retired from the NWS. He’s like my personal weather forecaster. (Thanks, Brad.)

Eric Lantz, 16, of Walnut Grove, shot this award-winning photo of the Tracy tornado as it was leaving town. He often took photos for the Walnut Grove Tribune, owned by his uncle, Everett Lantz. This image by Eric was awarded third place in the 1968 National Newspaper Association contest for best news photo. (Photo credit and copyrighted Eric Lantz)

I emailed Brad that “I really really really don’t like tornadoes,” not that anyone does. But I do have a bit of history with tornadoes stretching back to June 1968. On June 13, 1968, a violent F5 tornado with wind speeds of 261-318 mph devastated the small southwestern Minnesota town of Tracy, killed nine and injured 125. Days after that deadly twister, Dad, Mom, my siblings and I piled into the car for the 25-mile drive south of our family farm to view the destruction. The imprint of those scenes has stuck with me, which is likely the reason I respect and fear tornadoes.

More recently, in September 2018, five tornadoes (the largest an EF2) swept through my county of Rice, including in Faribault. Randy and I sheltered in our basement as strong winds raged, ripping the electrical mast from our house and downing trees throughout our neighborhood and nearby. It was frightening to be huddled in the basement, to hear that roaring wind and then to be plunged into darkness. But damage to our property was minimal. And no one was killed or injured in the county. Today I can look out my office window or walk into my backyard to see visual reminders of that severe storm in what I call “tornado trees.”

Going back further, I recall seeing the destruction in St. Peter, 40 miles to the west of my community, after a tornado touched down there on March 29, 1998. A young boy died. A childhood friend lost his home. Prior to reaching St. Peter, the tornado devastated Comfrey in southwestern Minnesota.

In 1980, a tornado took down a silo, tossed a silage wagon, ripped the railing off the house and more on my childhood farm. That was literally too close to home. It was home. I was working as a newspaper reporter some 65 miles away and raced back to Vesta the next day to see the damage. While working as a reporter in Gaylord, I also reported on and photographed damage left by a tornado.

On July 7, 2011, downbursts during severe weather heavily-damaged my childhood church, St. John’s Lutheran, and caused other damage in my hometown. In neighboring Belview, an EF1 tornado touched down on that same date causing widespread destruction. My personal weather forecaster friend, Brad, grew up in Belview.

A residential street in Tracy, once covered in branches and debris, had to be plowed to allow vehicles to pass following a June 13, 1968, tornado. (Photo by The Tracy Headlight Herald and courtesy of Scott Thoma, Tracy native and author of “Out of the Blue,” a book about the Tracy tornado)

Yes, I have a history with severe storms and tornadoes. How about you?

Be alert, prepared and safe, everyone, especially my friends in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling