Minnesota tornado, flash flood tracker: Mankato, Minneapolis, Albert Lea, Rochester on alert

Minnesota faced severe weather as the National Weather Service (NWS) Twin Cities/Chanhassen issued multiple tornado warnings and flash flood warnings

Updated on: Jun 26, 2025, 03:00:02 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Minnesota faced severe weather on Wednesday as the National Weather Service (NWS) Twin Cities/Chanhassen issued multiple tornado warnings and flash flood warnings across south-central and east-central regions, including Mankato, Minneapolis, Albert Lea, and Rochester.

Several tornado and flash flood warnings were issued in Minnesota (Unsplash)

The alerts, driven by a moist, unstable atmosphere, signal heightened risks of tornadoes and flooding, putting residents on edge amid a volatile storm season, according to the NWS press release.

Tornado Warnings

At 4:16 PM CDT, a tornado warning remained active for northeastern Blue Earth and southeastern Le Sueur counties, near Mankato, with a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado moving northeast at 27 knots near Madison Lake, per NWS.

Radar-indicated rotation threatened Waterville, Elysian, and Sakatah Lake State Park, with risks of flying debris, mobile home destruction, and tree damage. Earlier, a tornado warning for northwestern Freeborn and southwestern Steele counties, including Albert Lea, was canceled by 4:19 PM as the storm weakened, per NWS.

A separate warning near Albert Lea earlier confirmed a tornado near Hartland, moving northeast at 35 mph. Rochester and surrounding Olmsted County were under a tornado watch until 10 PM, with potential for funnel clouds.

Flash Flood Warning

A flash flood warning was issued at 3:51 PM for southeastern Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, and parts of Carver and Washington counties, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, until 7:45 PM, per NWS.

Doppler radar showed thunderstorms dumping 1–2 inches of rain per hour, causing urban flooding in low-lying areas like highways and underpasses. Locations like Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, and Woodbury faced inundated roadways, with 1–3 inches more expected.

Another flood warning at 3:02 PM targeted Minneapolis and St. Paul, warning of ponding water affecting the evening commute, per NWS. Renville County saw 3–5 inches of rain, triggering a flood warning until 5:45 PM.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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