A tornado tore through Otter Tail County in northwestern Minnesota Wednesday evening, part of a system of storms that left heavy rain, hail and wind across the north-central part of the state. That tornado has left one person dead, and two others injured.
WCCO Meteorologist Paul Douglas described the weather as "erupting" over Otter Tail County. Douglas said, "These were Kansas-sized tornadoes, some as big as EF-3 with winds estimated up to 165 mph. It was a reminder to me, that things can happen on fast-forward here in the Upper Midwest. I was amazed how quickly these storms erupted. You can't let your guard down, you can get big tornadoes even if it's just a severe thunderstorm watch, not a tornado warning."
As deadly as the storms were, a group of people purposfully put themselves in harm's way in order to document them. Local storm chasers descended on the area, shooting video and photos, and posting them all over social media.
Nelson added that this tornado wasn't that challenging to track."This tornado was kind of slow moving, and wasn't shifting paths all that much. It was pretty much just a straight line. So we were able to drive up right behind it, and view that tornado. And that's how we were able to stay safe. It's just being in the right position, and thinking about three, four, five turns ahead."