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EF3 tornado in Anoka County, Minnesota

Tornado May 25, 2008 · Anoka County, Minnesota

EF3
Rating
6.0 mi
Whole path
220 yd
Path width
2
Deaths
18
Injuries
$25.3M
Damage as recorded

NOAA records this tornado county by county. Its path ran through Anoka County → Washington County; the totals above are for the whole tornado.

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 220 yards (0.12 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF3 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF3 is severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, consistent with estimated gusts of 136–165 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

The tornado touched down on the eastern side of Lino Lakes, at the eastern shore of Peltier Lake. The tornado felled trees and lifted boat docks, then tracked east and crossed Interstate 35E. As this occurred, a few barns, grain bins, and silos were damaged. The tornado then intensified as it moved into northwestern Washington County and a subdivision (Creekview Preserve), about two miles north of downtown Hugo. It was at this point (around 16:01), that the twister caused EF-3 damage. The tornado dissipated in the eastern portion of Hugo, just north of Irish Avenue and 140th Street. Seven hundred and ninety four homes, including mobile homes, were affected by the storm in some way. A total of 91 homes sustained minor structural damage, numerous broken windows, and damage to small sections of roof. Twenty seven homes were destroyed, totally collapsed, or not economically feasible to repair. A two year old boy in Washington County (see corresponding entry) died after being blown out of the first floor of his home in Creekview Preserve. A 62 year old woman in Washington County died an indirect death due to a heart attack during cleanup in Hugo a few days later. Some important information provided by the Pioneer Press, Star Tribune, and other local newspapers.

The wider storm

A cold front was the catalyst for numerous reports of severe weather on this date.

Began near Centerville (45.1800, -93.0530).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

3 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 107670. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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