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Aug 20, 2009 1:44 pm US/Central
NWS Confirms Tornado Hit Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ―
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Kim Hagen took this photo from the fourth floor of Hennepin County Medical Center at 2:10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009.
Kim Hagen
The National Weather Service is confirming that a tornado touched down in south Minneapolis on Wednesday, then moved north toward downtown.
The weather service has damage assessment teams on the ground in the area. They will determine the tornado's intensity and the width and length of its path on the ground.
A preliminary damage assessment by the American Red Cross on Wednesday evening found that 40 homes in the area suffered at least some damage during the storm.
The weather service says it has two other assessment teams on the ground checking out reports of tornados. One team is in Brown and Blue Earth counties, the other is in western Wisconsin checking out reports in St. Croix County.
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The North Branch middle school was still sealed off Thursday. Wednesday's storm opened up the roof on the school, leaving falling ceiling tiles and water damage inside.
School district spokesman Patrick Tepoorten said it could be days until officials know the extent of the damage, but he said the district is committed to starting school on time. The first scheduled day is Sept. 8.
The middle school is home base for about 1,100 students. Tepoorten said all or parts of the building may remain closed for repairs even after the school year begins.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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