Silver Lake families begin storm cleanup without power Sunday night

SILVER LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - At least four families who live in Silver Lake are cleaning up Sunday night after a tornado ripped through the area at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

While no injuries have been reported, those affected will be dealing with the mess for days to come.

The winds were ferocious enough to rip off a shed’s roof and blow down countless crops.

The damage was from one of Sunday’s four reported tornadoes.

“We’ve got some holes in the roof,” said Gary Bennett, a homeowner in Silver Lake.

Bennett and many of his neighbors are navigating debris, including snapped trees and downed power lines.

“I’ve got windows that have been blown out, either because of the high winds, tornado debris or the high branches, but I got a lot of broken windows,” Bennett said.

Even with holes in his roof, Bennett is still relieved, thinking that it could have been worse.

“At this time, we’re aware of four damaged properties in and around the Silver Lake area,” said Kevin Matthews, of McLeod County Emergency Management.

“We’re really looking at their property damage,” he said. “Most everything is out of power, but everybody is fine. There’s really minor structural damage to a couple of houses, but really nothing major that they should be able to live there.”

Still, Bennett’s house and barn left him feeling uneasy Sunday night.

“I’m a little concerned about sump pumps and water damage in the basement,” he said.

Bennett went on to say that he’s worried about not having power, but that a friend is coming over with a back-up generator to help.