Updated: 06/18/2009 8:32 PM KSTP.com | Print Story
By: Becky Nahm

NWS confirms a tornado hit Austin

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A tornado with top wind speeds of more than 100 miles per hour cut a path through Mower County Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down at 8 p.m. near the Dodge county line. Over the next 23 minutes it moved through northern parts of Austin and continued on for another three miles east. It's track was about 10-miles long with a maximum width of 120 yards.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado caused the worst damage near the intersection of 243rd Street and 4th Street Northwest, about three miles north of downtown Austin. The damage there indicated an EF2 storm, or a storm with wind speeds of 111 to 135 miles per hour.

Much of the rest of the damage was likely caused by winds blowing at 65 to 110 miles per hour, that is EF0 or EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

South of the tornado path, the National Weather Service found damage from straight line winds along Highway 218 and 4th Street Northwest.