Type Tornado outbreak Tornadoes confirmed 13 Duration of tornado outbreak 7 1/2 hours Start date August 6, 1969 | Duration August 6, 1969 Max rating Areas affected Minnesota, Nebraska Number of casualties 15 | |
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Damage 88.4 million USD (2006 USD) Similar May 1968 tornado outbreak, 1967 Oak Lawn tornado o, 1970 Lubbock tornado, 1965 Palm Sunday tornado o, Tri‑State Tornado | ||
The 1969 Minnesota tornado outbreak was a tornado outbreak that affected portions of north central Minnesota on August 6, 1969. There were 13 confirmed tornadoes from the outbreak, 15 people were killed and 109 were injured.
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Meteorological synopsis
Very warm, humid, summertime air had pushed into central on southern Minnesota on August 6, 1969. Minneapolis saw a high temperature of 93 °F (34 °C) with dew points near 70 °F (21 °C). Meanwhile, strong upper-level winds over northern Minnesota and an approaching cold front from the west added the needed ingredient for the strong storms.
Outbreak description
Thirteen tornadoes touched down that day, killing 15 and injuring 109. The first tornado of the day, an F0, touched down at 12:15 pm CDT in Beltrami County. The main tornado event started about three hours later in Cass County when an F3 tornado touched down southwest of Backus, injuring four people.
The most damaging tornado of the outbreak touched down at 3:48 pm in Crow Wing County. It achieved F4 strength, traveling 38 miles (61 km) through Crow Wing, Cass and Aitkin counties. The area around Outing was especially hard hit by this tornado, where 11 deaths and 40 injuries occurred on the shores of Roosevelt Lake.
Several more strong tornadoes touched down over the next two hours, killing one person near Jacobson and two people near Two Harbors. Damage and casualties were limited however because most of the twisters struck rural areas.