Storms shutter resorts, displace Brainerd-area vacationers

BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) — Storms that tore through the Brainerd area closed resorts and displaced more than 900 vacationers around Gull Lake in the height of the summer season.

Two popular resorts, Madden's and Cragun's, were without power and scrambling to reopen after Sunday's 70 mph winds shut them down. The Star Tribune reports (http://strib.mn/1f304KQ) the storm sent trees crashing onto cars, overturned boats and blew the roof off a building at Madden's.

Cragun's owner, Dutch Cragun, says it's the first time weather forced his resort to close.

Madden's plans to reopen in two weeks; Cragun's will open next week.

The storms left more than 4,000 area properties without power and also displaced a wedding. Brianna Sucik and Kevin Relf will get married this Saturday in her mother's yard instead of at Madden's Resort.

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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com