Gusts of wind measuring up to 75 miles per hour hit Littlefork Friday morning, causing damage to trees and buildings.
The National Weather Service began receiving reports of damage along Highway 217 from Littlefork to Ray at 10:05 a.m. Friday, according to Steve Gohde, observing program manager at the National Weather Service in Duluth. Reports were given by the Littlefork ranger station, law enforcement and a weather observer in Littlefork.
The reports included roof damage to a residence and Larson Lumber. Roofs covering dugouts at the Littlefork School baseball fields were blown off and a concession stand at the Littlefork Fairground was reported flattened. Trees up to two feet in diameter were uprooted. A power outage also occurred, Gohde said.
No injuries were reported during the wind storm, according to Koochiching County Undersheriff Brian Jespersen.
Littlefork resident Mike Polkinghorne said a black cloud suddenly appeared that looked like it contained hail. But the wind picked up instead.
“It was quick,” Mike Polkinghorne said. The quick change in weather caught people off guard, he said.
Littlefork doesn’t get high winds very often, Polkinghorne said, adding that residents don’t want another storm like the one on Friday.
Littlefork City Administrator Mike Fairchild said Friday afternoon that clean up had already started and residents were going about their business.
Fairchild said he took a drive after the storm to see the damage.
Power and phone lines near his home were knocked down, Fairchild said. The city’s dugouts at Lofgren Park were destroyed and a swing set was also damaged. Trees were strewn about the Northern Minnesota District Fairgrounds and “is a mess,” he said. The concession stand at the fairgrounds was flipped upside down, he added.
An area near the skating rink in Littlefork was set up Friday for residents to drop off trees and debris. The Koochiching County Highway Department, a local logger and the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office were working together to help with the clean up, Fairchild said.
If residents have damaged trees needing to be removed, Fairchild asks them to contact Littlefork administration.
Fairchild expects the clean up to be complete within a week and the paperwork started for insurance claims.