'Historic and unreal' December storms leave trail of damage in Minnesota

Two tornadoes were confirmed, and one death was reported after a 40-foot tree fell on an Olmsted County man

Dec 17, 20210

David Joles, Star Tribune count

Hartland homeowner J.R. Henderson, right, described storm damage Thursday to his American Family insurance agent Brett Wuerflein after what appears to have been a tornado that struck the small Freeborn County town a day earlier.

HARTLAND, MINN. - J.R. Henderson heard the sirens Wednesday night. He knew a windstorm, maybe even a tornado, was headed for this town about 90 miles south of the Twin Cities.

And just as he opened his front door to check the skies, it arrived like a sledgehammer.

"I opened the door and - bang!" the retired electrical lineman said Thursday, standing in a living room strewn with broken glass, shards of wood and chunks of a neighbor's garage.

https://www.startribune.com/historic-december-storms-leave-trail-of-damage-in-minnesota/600127660/