Tornadoes in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, St. Paul: low income, 2015, foreclosures)

[N610DL]

I'm certain it's fairly obvious that MSP has had some very bad thunderstorms and tornadoes over time, but I feel like it's not particularly known for it. How often do Tornado Warnings and touchdowns occur? Have they wiped out any areas in recent times?

[gweilo845]

Touchdowns in the metro area are pretty rare since the air is hotter around cities and dissipates somewhat the conditions that produce tornados. The last one to hit Minneapolis was back in 2011, which touched down in North Minneapolis. many of the hoses affected were owned by low income residents who couldn't afford to pay damages (or slumlords who didn't want to) which resulted in a lot of foreclosures.


Tornado touchdowns are fairly common in southern Minnesota during the summer.

[Tyryztoll]

Originally Posted by gweilo845

Touchdowns in the metro area are pretty rare since the air is hotter around cities and dissipates somewhat the conditions that produce tornados.

Baseless contention. Many downtown areas of major cities have experienced tornadoes in recent memory, as have countless suburbs of said and other cities. While the air may be hotter in dense urban areas at times, it fluctuates the same as in rural areas, and as such tornado conditions are not subject to urban density. Tornado development occurs when air masses of differing temperatures and wind directions/speeds collide. The difference in the number of twisters occurring in rural areas vs. urban simply stems from the fact that there's still much more rural landscape in America, and especially in Minnesota.

[N610DL]

Originally Posted by Tyryztoll

Baseless contention. Many downtown areas of major cities have experienced tornadoes in recent memory, as have countless suburbs of said and other cities. While the air may be hotter in dense urban areas at times, it fluctuates the same as in rural areas, and as such tornado conditions are not subject to urban density. Tornado development occurs when air masses of differing temperatures and wind directions/speeds collide. The difference in the number of twisters occurring in rural areas vs. urban simply stems from the fact that there's still much more rural landscape in America, and especially in Minnesota.

Yeah that's true. SLC had a random one back in 1999 in downtown and ATL had one in 2008. They say Dallas is prone to eventually have one because of how many large ones have hit suburbs in the Metroplex.

[Tyryztoll]

Originally Posted by N610DL

Yeah that's true. SLC had a random one back in 1999 in downtown and ATL had one in 2008. They say Dallas is prone to eventually have one because of how many large ones have hit suburbs in the Metroplex.

Nashville also had a big one roll right through their downtown a few years back. Miami, too.

We actually just moved here from the DFW Metroplex. Largest metro area in the southern U.S. in terms of population, but even there the discrepancy between rural and urban areas in correlation with tornadoes is clear. Last big suburban twister there was in 2015.......before that it was 2012. So even in DFW years can pass without a damaging tornado occurring in an urban setting. In contrast, there are scores of large tornadoes that form in North and East Texas every single year. One of the regions that seems most prone to them is along the stretch of I-20 between Dallas and the Louisiana state line.

As for Minnesota, just look at the map. Minnesota is not a small state. 87,000 sqaure miles.....about 6,000 of which comprises the Twin Cities metro. That's roughly 7% of the state, so even though more tornadoes form in southern MN than northern, the odds are still drastically stacked against twisters striking the metro area with any semblance of consistency......which isn't to say that it can't happen. This is the Midwest, and we get tornadoes, period. One should always be prepared, but certainly no reason to live scared. I worry more about straight line winds from severe thunderstorms blowing the big tree in my front yard over onto my house, especially since the ground is so saturated from all the rain we've had this year......and also the storms that produce large hail, such as the one I drove home through a couple nights ago. Was very fortunate to escape vehicle damage from that beast......it was pretty fierce.

[David A Stone]

I recall a bad one in 1965

[minndavid60]

One in 1981 ripped through Edina, South Mpls. and Roseville, smashing the Har Mall shopping center to smithereens. In addition to the 2011 North Minneapolis tornado mentioned above, there was one around 2007/2008 that essentially came up Portland Ave. south and did some minor damage around the Convention Center area downtown.

[1stpontiac]

Hugo area had one in 2008: In Hugo, heartache hits home after deadly tornado - StarTribune.com

[geebabe]

Originally Posted by minndavid60

One in 1981 ripped through Edina, South Mpls. and Roseville, smashing the Har Mall shopping center to smithereens. In addition to the 2011 North Minneapolis tornado mentioned above, there was one around 2007/2008 that essentially came up Portland Ave. south and did some minor damage around the Convention Center area downtown.

Umm... no, it didn't smash the HarMar Mall to smithereens.

On June 14, 1981, Har Mar Mall was damaged by a large tornado during the afternoon hours. While the mall wasn't heavily damaged and only affected the mall's cosmetic appearance, several nearby local businesses and residences were left in ruins following the impact. Shortly after the tornado, a large renovation occurred to update the mall's appearance and fix any damage left by it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Har_Mar_Mall

[Ghengis]

I can clearly remember the '65 tornado outbreak that hit the Western and Northern portions of the TC including parts of Minneapolis and St Paul and included 6 separate tornados, 4 of them being F4s.


from wiki...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early-...break_sequence


On May 6, an outbreak of six strong tornadoes, four of them violent F4s, affected Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, and has been nicknamed "The Longest Night", killing 13 people and causing major damages—at the time the most damaging single weather event in Minnesota history. Three of the six tornadoes occurred on the ground simultaneously...