Severe Storm Threat Eases For St. Cloud Metro Area

Metro Severe Storm Warning. NWS Doppler at 10:52 am shows a classic hook echo, indicative of severe rotation, over Elk River. There are reports of 55 mph wind gusts and downed trees with this cell, drifting southeast at 20 mph toward eastern Hennepin, Anoka and Ramsey counties. No tornado warnings (yet), but people living in the metro area should stay alert and be ready to head to the basement - it sure looks like this storm is capable of 2" diameter hail, even a few isolated tornadoes. Severe Storm Warning in effect until noon.
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1103 AM CDT TUE JUL 19 2011

MNC003-053-123-191700-
/O.CON.KMPX.SV.W.0163.000000T0000Z-110719T1700Z/
ANOKA MN-HENNEPIN MN-RAMSEY MN-
1103 AM CDT TUE JUL 19 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR RAMSEY...
NORTHEASTERN HENNEPIN AND ANOKA COUNTIES UNTIL NOON CDT...

AT 1059 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DESTRUCTIVE
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR COON
RAPIDS...OR 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF PLYMOUTH...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30
MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MINNEAPOLIS...ST PAUL...BROOKLYN PARK...BLAINE...SPRING LAKE
  PARK...BROOKLYN CENTER...LEXINGTON...CRYSTAL...FRIDLEY...CIRCLE
  PINES...MOUNDS VIEW...LINO LAKES...ROBBINSDALE...CENTERVILLE AND
  HILLTOP.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS
STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR DESTRUCTIVE WINDS...WHICH CAN UPROOT
TREES...DOWN POWER LINES...AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO ROOFS AND WINDOWS.
EVACUATE MOBILE HOMES AS THEY MAY BE OVERTURNED. LARGE HAIL IS ALSO
EXPECTED...WHICH CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO VEHICLES AND WINDOWS. SEEK
SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

THIS STORM HAS EXHIBITED SOME WEAK ROTATION. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP
QUICKLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH ONE IS NOT IMMEDIATELY
LIKELY...IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE... SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL
INTERIOR ROOM.

Dangerous, Rotating Storm. GR2 Analyst shows significant hail with the cell near Anoka, often a precursor to a tornadic storm. We don't have any evidence of a tornado on the ground, but residents of the north metro should stay alert between now and noon.

Flash Flood Potential. These are NWS Doppler rainfall estimates. The yellow-shaded area shows rainfall estimates of 1.5", the red area (between Little Falls and Brainerd) displays some 3"+ rainfall amounts, just this morning. Flash Flood Warnings are posted from Little Falls northwest to Wadena and Detroit Lakes.
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
901 AM CDT TUE JUL 19 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN MORRISON COUNTY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
  MILLE LACS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

* UNTIL 200 PM CDT

* AT 855 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE    
  WARNED AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3.5 INCHES HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED
  IN NORTHERN MORRISON COUNTY NEAR HARDING.

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  LITTLE FALLS...BAYVIEW...BUCKMAN...GENOLA...HARDING...HILLMAN... 
  ISLE...LASTRUP...ONAMIA...PIERZ...VINELAND AND WAHKON.

  SPECIFIC RIVERS AND CREEKS INCLUDE FLETCHER CREEK...PLATTE RIVER 
  THE SKUNK RIVER AND HILLMAN CREEK...IN NORTHERN AND EASTER       
  MORRISON COUNTY AND TIBBETTS BROOK AND THE RUM RIVER IN MILLE LACS
  COUNTY.

RAINFALL RATES OF 1.5 TO 2 INCHES AN HOUR WILL CONTINUE INTO MILLE
LACS COUNTY THIS MORNING.  FLOODING IS LIKELY TO DEVELOP HERE
THROUGH THE MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.