Crumbled chimney bricks on the roof of the Board of Trade Building.
A severe storm ripped through the Duluth area around 3:30 a.m., knocking down trees and leaving many without power and running water.
There are two confirmed deaths from the storm, both Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness campers who were part of a Boy Scouts of America Northern Tier High Adventure Program. A 39-year-old female and a 13-year-old male were killed by falling trees on the shore of Basswood Lake. Two others in the group were injured.
The Duluth Fire Department advised no travel this morning. There are multiple power lines down and streets blocked.
The Board of Trade Building is closed due to structural issues after lightning hit the chimney and sent parts of it through the roof. The neighboring Duluth Government Services Center has two weather stations on its roof, the newer of which clocked wind gusts in excess of 100 m.p.h.
The Duluth Police Department received several reports this morning of trees and debris in the roadway and advises people to stay away from downed power lines. Public works and Minnesota Power have been notified.
Power outages have caused many signalized intersections to be out-of-service. Motorists should be cautious at uncontrolled intersections and remember to yield to traffic on the right.
The city of Duluth is recommending citizens limit water use due to an electrical outage at the main water pumping station.
Most local television stations are off the air. Only WDSE-TV is broadcasting.
The Duluth Area Family YMCA is offering free usage of its facility while the power is out for people who need a warm shower, water or free wi-fi. The Superior Douglas County Family YMCA has opened its pool for free use today to help residents beat the heat.
The Duluth Transit Authority is providing free rides to citizens who board regular-route buses and indicate they would like to get to the “Cooling Center” at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. These passengers will alight (exit) buses at the Duluth Transportation Center where they will transfer onto a shuttle bus in Bay J that will transport them to the DECC. The digital destination signs on this bus will read, “22 Shuttle Downtown DECC.” Shuttle passengers will be dropped off at Entrance D in the DECC’s parking lot. Amenities available include: water from drinking fountains, restrooms, air conditioning and wi-fi. The DTA anticipates this service to run through the early evening.
