Tornado, Severe Storms Knock Out Power for Hundreds in Olmsted County

Minor damage reported to homes, with fallen trees and gas leaks in the area.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 9:24pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A sweeping, atmospheric landscape painting depicting a massive tornado system dwarfing the rural homes and landscape below, conveying the overwhelming scale and power of the severe weather event.The powerful tornado and severe storms that struck Olmsted County left a trail of minor damage, but also a profound sense of the raw, elemental force of nature.Rochester Today

A tornado and severe thunderstorms hit Olmsted County, Minnesota on Friday, April 17, 2026, leaving around 700 people without power and causing minor damage to several homes. The storms brought down trees, power lines, and a propane tank, and also caused small gas leaks in the area. Emergency responders were on the scene addressing the issues and ensuring public safety.

Why it matters

Severe weather events like this tornado can have significant impacts on local communities, disrupting power, damaging property, and posing safety risks. Understanding how communities respond and recover from these incidents is important for improving disaster preparedness and resilience.

The details

According to the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, the storms started forming in the early afternoon on Friday, with a tornado spotted on a Minnesota Department of Transportation camera near Simpson, Minnesota around 2:30 p.m. The tornado caused damage to several homes in the area, including tearing off garage roofs, breaking windows, and blowing debris into homes. One resident, Lance Dahl, found his garage roof torn off, siding damaged, windows blown out, and his living room filled with shattered glass. Trees on his property were also blown over, with one trunk snapped in half. Neighbors Tom and Sue Jansen also had their garage roof partly torn off and their trailer tipped over. Further south, Luca Baker's garage door was torn off and his front window broken, while Tim Hagbourne's home had a dozen old trees snapped, a garage roof ripped off, and a ceiling damaged inside the house. The tornado also downed power lines and damaged a natural gas tank near Hagbourne's home.

  • The storms started forming in the Olmsted County area in the early afternoon on Friday, April 17, 2026.
  • A tornado was spotted on a Minnesota Department of Transportation camera near Simpson, Minnesota around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2026.

The players

Capt. Tim Parkin

An official with the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office who reported that about 700 people were without power as of 4 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2026, and that there were reports of minor damage to several homes and some small gas leaks in the county.

Lance Dahl

A teacher at John Adams Middle School who was with students in the basement when the storm hit. When he got home, he found his garage roof torn off, siding damaged, windows blown out, and his living room filled with shattered glass. Trees on his property were also blown over, with one trunk snapped in half.

Tom and Sue Jansen

Neighbors of Lance Dahl who took shelter in the basement of their home, built in 2009, as the tornado approached. Their garage roof was partly torn off and their trailer was tipped over.

Luca Baker

A resident who had just made it to the basement of his home near Olmsted County Road 16 with his cat when the tornado tore off his garage door and broke his front window.

Tim Hagbourne

A resident who was in a back bedroom when the tornado tore through, snapping off a dozen old trees on the property, ripping the roof off a garage, and knocking down a ceiling inside the house.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I don't even know where to start.”

— Lance Dahl, Resident

“We're all safe. We were in the basement. We saw it coming.”

— Tom Jansen, Resident

“It hit pretty quick. I knew the siren was going off, but we very rarely actually get tornadoes. I looked out the window and saw this wild storm.”

— Tim Hagbourne, Resident

“An exhaust pipe in my basement flew down off the ceiling, that's when I knew it was an actual tornado hitting.”

— Luca Baker, Resident

What’s next

The Stewartville Fire Department addressed the natural gas leak and ensured there was no fire risk. Utility crews are working to restore power to the hundreds of affected residents.

The takeaway

This severe weather event highlights the importance of community preparedness and resilience in the face of natural disasters. While the damage was relatively minor, the quick response of emergency services and the ability of residents to seek shelter likely prevented more serious injuries or loss of life.