Tornado destroys half of homes in Taopi, cleanup underway in the Mower County Community
April 14, 2022 11:50AM CDT
A skid loader is used to move downed tree limbs on a property in Taopi, Minn., Wednesday morning, April 13, 2022. The damage was the result of the storms on Tuesday that swept through the area. (Eric Johnson/The Daily Herald via AP)
TAOPI, Minn. (AP) — Residents of a small farming community in southeastern Minnesota are working to recover from a devastating tornado that destroyed half of the town’s homes, toppled tall trees and left piles of debris in its wake. An EF2 tornado with peak wind speeds of 130 mph (209 kph) struck Taopi near the Iowa border late Tuesday night, tearing the roofs off houses, overturning vehicles and bringing down power lines. There were no reports of serious injuries. Volunteers from the area arrived Wednesday to help residents clean up the debris in the community of about 80 people. Family members sifted through rubble looking for keepsakes. City Clerk Jim Kiefer says at least 10 of Taopi’s 22 homes are beyond
