Storms swept across Olmsted County and left Marion Township with uprooted trees, damaged homes and an emergency power shutoff in the hardest-hit area. County officials also issued a disaster declaration as crews worked to restore service and assess the scale of the damage.
Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said Marion Township had sustained significant damage, with approximately 30 homes damaged, 12 of them significantly. The rest were listed as minor to major damage, and he said he fully expected the numbers to rise even as crews kept working. In the damaged part of Marion Township, emergency services disconnected power while responders moved through the area.
The county opened a temporary shelter at Autumn Ridge Church for anyone who needed a place to stay, but nobody used it. Sen. Amy Klobuchar visited the shelter to thank American Red Cross volunteers, saying it was extraordinary how quickly the church opened its doors and how fast volunteers were on scene.
The storm damage was not limited to Marion Township. ABC 6 News crews found several trees uprooted near Viola Township, and Torgerson said he had heard no reports of homes destroyed there. The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone whose home was damaged, even slightly, to complete a preliminary damage assessment by calling 507-288-7555, part of the county’s effort to track losses after the storms.
With the shelter unused, the disaster declaration in place and damage reports still coming in, the immediate question is not whether the county was hit, but how much the final toll will climb once every homeowner checks in.
