Large Tree Falls on Building in Burnsville, Strong to Severe Storms Hit Twin Cities
BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA—On Wednesday afternoon, at approximately 2:20 PM, the Burnsville Fire Department responded to an incident involving a large tree falling onto an apartment building in the 100 block of Birnamwood Drive in Burnsville, Minnesota. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The damage appeared to be confined to a small portion of the roof. Structural engineers were called in to thoroughly evaluate the building's integrity and ensure that there were no underlying issues that could pose further risks.
The National Weather Service (NWS) Twin Cities provided context to the event, reporting that non-thunderstorm wind gusts in the area were observed to be between 25-35 mph roughly 30 minutes before the fire department's call. These gusty conditions, coupled with a tree full of leaves and wet and soft soil from recent weather, likely contributed to the tree being uprooted and blown onto the building.
The windy conditions experienced throughout the afternoon were part of a larger weather pattern affecting the region. They resulted in several reports of down branches and trees across the Twin Cities Metro. By the late afternoon to early evening, strong to severe storms worked across the Twin Cities, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a handful of Special Weather Statements and a couple of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. One severe storm that worked through the east-southeast Metro resulted in several reports of downed powerlines, including a large tree blown down near Wachtler Avenue and Riverside Lane in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, taking out powerlines. You can see the video from the scene below. Additional outages are being reported across Washington County, where Excel is reporting over 1,200 people without power at this time.
Written by: Will Wight
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