BEMIDJI — Beltrami County and the city of Bemidji declared states of emergency Saturday, June 21, after destructive storms downed thousands of trees and left tens of thousands without power.
Severe weather moved through the area in the early hours Saturday, bringing wind gusts up to 106 miles per hour, as strong as a Category 2 hurricane.
The Red Cross has an emergency shelter at the Sanford Center for those impacted by the storms. The shelter has food and water, room to sleep and health services. The Red Cross said anyone affected can visit, even if they don't need overnight lodging.
Over ten thousand were still without power as of Saturday night, according to Otter Tail Power Company and Beltrami Electric Cooperative outage maps.
Beltrami County said it may be several days before power is fully restored.
Crews worked until 10 p.m. Saturday and will start again 6 a.m. Sunday, Otter Tail Power said. Beltrami Electric Cooperative explained the storm snapped dozens of power poles.
It takes four linemen four hours to change one pole, the company said on social media. That's without having to clear trees blocking access to the line or pole.
Beltrami County and Bemidji's states of emergency allow for an expedited response by opening additional disaster recovery resources, said Christopher Muller, Beltrami County emergency management director, in a news release.
"We are blessed in the fact that we have not heard of anyone injured or any loss of life in our County due to the storm," wrote Craig Gaasvig, Beltrami County Board chair, in a news release.
" ... The list is too long to name everyone, but rest assured that we are getting help from many different organizations, mutual aid from other electric companies, friends and neighbors helping those with more damage and less resources.
" ... Tough times like this can shine a light on how much good we have in our community, and how fortunate we are to have people come from other communities and agencies to help us get through this challenging time."
All city parks are closed to the public as crews work to first clear streets.
Bemidji residents can bring leaves, branches and logs to the nearest city street, without impacting the road surface, for pickup. The Bemidji Fire Department said tree debris pickup will begin Monday. No construction debris or other waste will be collected.
The Beltrami County Demolition Landfill will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday. Regular business hours will begin Tuesday.
Muller warned residents to be wary of storm cleanup scammers. Review documents before entering contracts, and don't be rushed into signing one. Verify identity and legitimacy before paying, and check credentials.
Beltrami Electric Cooperative also advised residents to make sure they are safely using generators.
Never connect a generator directly to your home's electrical system unless it has been wired for generator use. Run it in a well-ventilated area outside your home, away from the garage, doors, windows and vents. Start the generator before connecting appliances, and use a heavy-duty extension cord to connect them.
Extended power outages come as Northern Minnesota swelters in dangerous heat, with heat indices — temperature and humidity — up to 105 degrees.
The hot weather also lends to the potential for another round of severe weather late Sunday.
The National Weather Service said heating, cloud cover and the timing of an approaching cold front will all impact the strength of storms — if they develop in Northern Minnesota at all. If conditions are right, much of the Northland could see damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour, large hail, heavy rains and a few tornadoes.
Editor's note: This story was updated to correct a date error.
