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Location: Glenwood, Minn.
Photo courtesy of Brandi Mady

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Location: Anoka, Minn.
Photo courtesy of William Richards

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Flooding on Aug. 1, 2011. Photo by Jason Anderson.

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Flooding at Interstate 94 and Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis on Aug. 1, 2011

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Storm clouds near Hinckley, Minn. Photo by Trista Bentler

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Afternoon Storms Douse Twin Cities

Wind knocks down large trees, power lines

Updated: Monday, 01 Aug 2011, 11:52 PM CDT
Published : Monday, 01 Aug 2011, 1:13 PM CDT

    MINNETRISTA, Minn. - Several large trees and some power lines were downed near County Roads 26 and 110 in Minnetrista as storms move into the Twin Cities metro from western Minnesota.

    The storm damage was reported just before 1 p.m. Monday afternoon, about 10 minutes after a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Hennepin County.

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    More trees were reported down in Plymouth and parts of St. Paul have lost power. Xcel Energy said 34,791 metro customers lost power in the storm.

    Lightning also struck homes and businesses in the west metro, but even those who couldn't see the light could definitely hear it.

    A bolt struck the transformer behind Bob Bender's house in Crystal, Minn., knocking out power to the entire neighborhood.

    "It was loud," he said. "I was wondering what was going to happen, if there's any water in my basement."

    Just across the street from Bender's home, winds estimated at 50 miles per hour toppled a 100-foot tree.

    In Brooklyn Park, Sally Wojahn was busy cooking when Mother Nature decided to serve up some singed shingles.

    "Ran upstairs and fire alarms were giong off, something smelled singed," she said. "Called my husband and then I thought, 'I need to call the fire department!'"

    Luckily for Wojahn, a little siding was the only thing that burned, but the electricity left the Wojahns home a little fried.

    "Garage doors don't work, TVs don't work, but I feel fortunate," she said.

    The storm also knocked down trees in Plymouth, taking out power to street lights and bringing rush hour at Highway 55 and Interstate 494 to a crawl.

    On Monday morning, storms uprooted trees and damaged docks, boats and cabins on Lake Minnewaska in Glenwood, Minn. , about 130 miles west of the Twin Cities.

    If you are in the path of the storm, seek shelter immediately inside a sturdy structure like a basement or interior room and stay away from windows.

    LIST: Current watches and warnings