National Weather Service confirms 3 tornadoes

(Mankato, MN) – Three tornadoes were confirmed in southern Minnesota Tuesday by the National Weather Service.

At 5:07 p.m., there were multiple reports of a tornado northeast of Garden City.  Twenty minutes later, a second tornado was confirmed five miles north of Mapleton.  At 5:45 p.m., a third sighting was confirmed four miles west of Waldorf.

Quarter-sized hail was reported in Lake Crystal, and hail damage was confirmed by a trained spotter near Garden City.

BENCO Electric reported that they were experiencing “many” power outages as a result of thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Downed trees and limbs were reported around the area, but the storms don’t appear to have caused any widespread damage.