My name is Bryan Hauer and I was born on January 11, 1976 in St. Paul, MN. Although my friends liked to kid me about it I am no relation as far as I know to the actor Rutger Hauer. I grew up mostly in Minnesota and Wisconsin 
Hugo Minnesota Tornado in Washington County MN
May 25th, 2008 by Bryan Hauer
I’m currently traveling and visiting friends and family in Minneapolis, MN right now and although the Twin Cities is extremely gorgeous this time of year it it does mean that the cool air from the North sometimes mixes with the hot moist air from the South and today this is exactly what happened.
At around 5:30 PM central time today tornado warnings went out around the Twin Cities metro area specifically in the Coon Rapids and Hugo area located just North of the Mineapolis/St. Paul metro area.
Currently local news reports as of 7:04 PM are reporting entire neighborhoods being destroyed, houses being completely blown off their foundations, at least 20 people missing and so far one confirmed death.
Xcel energy is also reporting at least 15,500 people without power.
The last large reported tornado in the Hugo, MN area was in 1965 when an F-4 tornado ripped through the city killing 6 and injuring more than 150 people.
More video and pictures and updates to come throughout the night.
Video
- http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=72024&bw=
- http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=72025&bw=
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jthprc_q4w
Pictures
- http://wcco.com/slideshows/hugo.tornado.damage.20.732675.html
- http://wcco.com/slideshows/severe.weather.thunderstorm.20.732561.html?rid=0
- http://joshpratt.wordpress.com/2008/05/25/hugo-tornado-part-1-the-storm-the-hail/
- http://joshpratt.wordpress.com/2008/05/25/hugo-tornado-part-2-the-damage/
May 25th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
The tornadoes and severe thunderstorms hitting Hugo Minnesota as we speak, and preceded by similar events in Hennessey OK and places elsewhere in your region are shocking to those of us far out of the way of such weather, elsewhere in North America.
Our sympathies most definitely go out…
David
May 25th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
The one confirmed death was a little girl 4 or 5 years old. My brother-in-law’s home was literally 50 feet from where the tornado touched down and he was the first one to find the girl. She had been pinned under some wood and had a nail in her head. My brother-in-law performed CPR on her for 15 min until paramedics arrived. We didn’t hear until a few hours later that she had died. As depressing as that is, my nephew helped pull a 5 year old boy out of a pond. He had stopped breathing and my nephew told me that he had died but we learned later that the paramedics had managed to revive him on the way to the hospital.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:18 am
I am an airman stationed overseas and heard of the devastation that hit home just now. I pray for every individual affected by this storm and that everyone is ok. It’s a little bit uneasy being here in Korea and knowing that disaster struck home. I love and miss everyone there! I pray EVERYONE is okay.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I was in the dorms of Union University when the tornado hit our campus on Feb. 5 this year, and my heart breaks with you in Hugo, MN. I know the fear, grief, loss, and exhaustion you feel. My prayers are with you, but more importantly, my all powerful God to whom the wind submits is with you. As hard as it was to trust Him for allowing this to happen, and as angry I got at how long the journey lasts, it doesn’t change His goodness or His power. My prayer is that you will reach for His sustenance. My prayers are also that your communities and the country will reach their arms out to you as they did to us. You are loved and are being prayed for. Hang in there. Psalm 34.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:40 am
It’s amazing to hear all the stories and even more amazing there weren’t more deaths after seeing all the destruction.
My thoughts and prayers are with all the people affected back in my home state of Minnesota.
Bryan Hauer
May 31st, 2008 at 3:28 pm
My prayers go out to all who died, have injuries, and/or lost property in this disaster. I lived on Fountain Avenue North in Hugo in 1994, which is just a little south of where it appears most of the damage occurred. I am wondering if any homes around Fountain Avenue North were damaged or destroyed.