Tornadoes/Heavy Rain Reported

(Learfield News) The National Weather Service is looking into least a half dozen tornado reports in southern and southeastern Minnesota.

Meteorologist Tyler Hasenstein says rotation was first spotted Wednesday near Alden and Hartland in Freeborn County.

There were also reports of tornadoes on the ground in Zumbro Falls, Lake City, and Hokah in southeastern Minnesota.

Some parts of southwest and west central Minnesota are now soaked after heavy rains Wednesday.

Hasenstein says, “We did have a rather large area of about three to five inches of rain basically overnight into the morning from far eastern Yellow Medicine, through Renville and parts Kandiyohi County as well. Several reports of flooded basements and a lot of pictures of standing water over some area parks and roads.”

The NWS office in Chanhassen received 2.3 inches, MSP Airport reported 1.7 inches, and there was some flash flooding on streets in the Twin Cities.

The National Weather Service Wednesday night issued a River Flood Warning for Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, Renville, and Redwood Counties.

The warning is in effect until 2 this afternoon (Thursday).