Insights

On June 28, 2025, severe storms swept through Minnesota, particularly affecting the Twin Cities metro area and western parts of the state. These storms caused significant disruptions, leading to hundreds of thousands of residents losing power. As of early Sunday afternoon, over 14,000 Xcel Energy customers were still experiencing outages, although this was a reduction from approximately 50,000 earlier in the day. Utility crews from Xcel Energy were actively working to restore power safely and promptly after the tumultuous weather. Meanwhile, many residents began the cleanup process following the storms, dealing with damage to trees and property caused by high winds and heavy rainfall. Reports indicated that nearly an inch or more of rain fell in various parts of the metro area overnight, with Elk River receiving over 2 inches. Compounding the chaos, the Swift County Sheriff's Office stated that a tornado had touched down east of Halloway on Saturday evening, while the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for the Twin Cities just after midnight Sunday. Although there were reports of tornado activity near Waconia, the NWS did not confirm these incidents. The warning issued for parts of Minneapolis and surrounding areas expired shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday, but no tornadoes were officially confirmed at that time. The heavy rainfall and strong winds prompted significant challenges for traffic, as downed trees and power lines blocked major roadways, including Highway 7, resulting in long delays. By Sunday morning, the highway had since reopened, but the restoration of normalcy was ongoing due to the extensive storm damage. Thankfully, the weather is forecasted to improve, with Monday and Tuesday expected to bring less humid, sunny conditions. However, there is a prediction for showers and thunderstorms to return from Thursday through the weekend, indicating that the region may not yet be out of the storm's grip. The severe weather has spurred conversations around the unpredictability of storms in the region and the necessity for continued preparations. Many communities were quickly reminded of the importance of readiness for unexpected weather patterns as the summer unfolds, setting a tone for discussions on weather preparedness and response among local governments and utility providers.