Upper Midwest gets tornadoes, plus high water from snowmelt

A day after severe storms damaged communities in the Plains and the Midwest, storms could bring giant hail, tornadoes and severe wind gusts threatened the same regions again on Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Authorities in Kansas reported several people with minor injuries after storms passed through on Monday. Three people were left with minor injuries in rural Franklin County, about 50 miles southwest of Kansas City. In Ottawa, a city of about 13,000 people, officials said there was structural damage, but there were no deaths or injuries. 

Three tornadoes touched down in southern Minnesota, where some damage to farms was reported. There were also reports of baseball-sized hail that caused damage to vehicles in the area.

A tornado touched down near Gilman, a village of about 380 people in northwestern Wisconsin. The weather service was still working to determine the tornado’s rating. The storms peeled the roof off a manufactured home in Steuben, but there have been no reports of any injuries in the state.

In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex as record snowfall in March and recent rain have elevated water levels. More pumps were being added to help push water toward Lake Huron on Monday. As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the water level was 7.7 inches below the top of the structure, according to a state website.


Tree damage in southern Wisconsin on Monday. (AP Photo John Elswick)