UPDATE: National Weather Service confirms tornado near Rollingstone was EF1
May 22—ROLLINGSTONE, Minn. — The tornado that touched down in Winona County on Tuesday evening was an EF1, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado was confirmed at 6:11 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, near Rollingstone, about 9 miles west of Winona.
In an update on Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in La Crosse said the tornado reached peak wind speeds of around 105 mph. According to NOAA, EF1 tornadoes reach speeds of up to 110 mph.
According to a preliminary storm survey, the tornado started east of St. Charles and intensified as it approached Rollingstone, traveling about 18 miles. The storm dissipated after it went over the Mississippi River into Wisconsin.
The tornado caused intermittent damage mainly through rural Winona County. Trees and powerlines were knocked down, along with a few barns and outbuildings, the storm survey said.
There were no injuries or deaths reported.
Tuesday was the second straight day of severe weather in Southeast Minnesota, two landspout tornadoes were reported between Blooming Prairie and Hayfield on Monday evening, a representative with the weather service said on Wednesday afternoon. According to NOAA, "a landspout is a tornado with a narrow, rope-like condensation funnel that forms while the thunderstorm cloud is still growing and there is no rotating updraft — the spinning motion originates near the ground."
