1968 Tracy tornado
| F5 tornado | |
|---|---|
Eric Lantz took his award-winning photo of the Tracy tornado as it was leaving the town.
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| Formed | June 13, 1968 7:04 pm |
| Max rating1 | F5 tornado |
| Damage | $43 million (2006 USD) |
| Casualties | 9 fatalities, 125 injuries |
| Areas affected | Southwest Minnesota |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
The 1968 Tracy tornado. was an F5 tornado that struck Tracy, Minnesota on June 13, 1968 at around 7 o'clock. The tornado killed nine people and injured 125 others. The wind speeds of the tornado reached over 300 mph as it tracked 9 miles (14 km) through Murray, Lyon and Redwood counties in southwestern Minnesota. It is one of only two official F5 tornadoes that have occurred in Minnesota, although several other tornadoes that occurred before 1950 are estimated to have been F5 strength. The tornado destroyed 111 homes, caused major damage to 76, and caused minor damage to 114. Five businesses were destroyed and 15 others were damaged. Some homes in town only had their foundations left behind. A few farms outside of town were swept completely away, and extensive ground scouring occurred. An elementary school and 106 automobiles were destroyed, and a heavy boxcar was thrown more than a block by the storm. Two other boxcars were thrown 300 yards, and a steel I-beam was carried for two miles on a piece of roof. Hard rains and hail were also reported. A total of five tornadoes hit Minnesota on June 13, 1968, most ranking as an F0.
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