Thunderstorm Wind in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Estimated 60 to 70 mph winds as the initial line of thunderstorms rolled through, with tree damage to branches larger than their forearm.

During the evening of Friday, June 20th into the early morning hours of June 21st, much of the region was affected by severe weather. A powerful line of severe thunderstorms categorized as a derecho, which tracked across much of the region, including northwest Minnesota, brought widespread straight line wind damage. After the derecho passed through the region, there was a period of prolonged destructive winds that affected portions of central and east central North Dakota, as well as adjacent portions of Minnesota. This was a unique event due to the long duration of significant winds that followed the derecho.