Lightning — Cook, Minnesota

2025-09-08 · near Marais, Cook, Minnesota

Event narrative

A lightning strike near the Gunflint Trail and Soderberg Lane damaged about 2,000 feet of underground fiber optic cable causing a loss of phone and internet service to customers from that point to the end of the Gunflint Trail. Service was restored after about 14 hours.

Wider weather episode

Thunderstorms developed north of the Iron Range into the Minnesota Arrowhead during the afternoon of the 8th. Aside from some small hail and a lightning strike damaging some fiber optic lines, the storms remained below severe limits.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (48.0731, -90.5677)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1293115. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.