Surprise storms and possible tornadoes snapped trees, damaged roofs, split gas lines and picked a woman up off the ground.

The storms hit with little to no warning. The weather conditions before the storms were cool and rainy--a set up not usually known for sparking funnel clouds or tornadoes.

The first sign of serious trouble was when people spotted a funnel cloud north of downtown Minneapolis just after 2 p.m.

Storm spotters also reported funnel clouds in Cottage Grove and in North Branch Wednesday afternoon.

While the Minneapolis funnel formed to the north, areas to the south of downtown reported the most damage. From Chopper 5, the damage seemed to be centered in an area bordered by Interstate 35W on the west, Park Avenue on the east and between E 36th and 44th Streets.

At 35th Street and Portland Avenue, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS crews found large trees bent in half. Some of the trees pulled parts of roofs down with them.

Broken glass littered the sidewalks at 40th Street and 4th Avenue where the storm blew out windows at a retail store.

The storm also busted the roof of the popular music store Electric Fetus, which is located at 4th and Franklin.

In downtown Minneapolis, the storms ripped off pieces of the roof of the convention center. Police closed 3rd Avenue in order to clean up debris.

Police said one woman was injured as she walked near the convention center. Officers said the storm picked her up off the ground and slammed her down, twice. The woman was taken away in an ambulance, but she was alert and talking. Police and fire crews declared no one else was seriously hurt after completing a house-to-house search of the damaged areas.

Across the street from the convention center, the storm damaged the steeple of Central Lutheran Church. The winds also tore apart tents the church had set up to serve breakfast to people attending the national Evangelical Lutheran Church in America convention. The convention was underway when the storms hit, so no one was in the tents, and no one was hurt.

In the same area of downtown, winds bent a stop light in half.

Damaged gas lines and downed power lines also posed a safety threat. Centerpoint Energy said crews were checking reports of gas line damage at several locations including 46th and Park and 41st and Portland Avenue in Minneapolis.

Due to power outages, more Minneapolis police officers will be on patrol Wednesday night. The city also deployed structural inspectors to conduct any needed evaluations.

Lisa Kiava, spokeswoman for the Hennepin County sheriff's office, said tornado sirens were activated for the city of Minneapolis at 2:12 p.m. But at least one resident said he didn't hear the sirens until after the storm passed through.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS meteorologists said that was likely because the storm came out of no where. The day had been dreary and cool, which does not usually lead to tornadic activity.

Also, the heavy rain that accompanied the storms made identifying possible funnel clouds on radar difficult.

The rain sparked flood advisories for most of the metro.

The city of Minneapolis plans to release information on how to dispose of debris from downed trees on Thursday.

Xcel Energy is working to identify and manage downed power lines. To report damaged or downed power lines, call Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-1999.