St. Cloud Times from Saint Cloud, Minnesota • Page 10

10A Daily Times, St. Cloud, Minn. Sept. 4, 1980 Woman didn't expect twister that killed baby By BETH LINNEN Timet Staff Writer Tina Hennen was holding her baby as she was talking to a girlfriend on the telephone. A storm was brewing south of them in Bel Clare Acres Mobile Home Park.

"All of a sudden it got really windy," Tina recalled this morning from her hospital bed. "I thought it was just a storm so I closed the win-' dows and I looked out the door. Then the phone clicked. I screamed ing would blow up and that no people were buried beneath the mobile homes. The Stearns County Sheriffs Department began evacuating people from the park's shelters to the Waite Park American Legion club.

Electricity failures throughout most of the park, leaking gas mains and concern about looting made the department move to seal off the park for the evening. People straggled from the shelters into vans with sleepy children in their arms or led by the hand. At the Legion they lined up to call relatives or friends whom they could stay with for the night. But many were restless to return to their damaged homes and assess the damage and guard what possessions they had left. "I plan on going home tonight and will probably be sitting up all night watching for scavengers," one man said.

dents began to venture out of the cramped basement and stared in the direction of the lights. "It didn't seem like the storm was that bad," Helgeson said. "All of a sudden the windows blew up and I sat down hard. We've had these warnings and stuff before and it never affected us. The radio said it was going north from Avon and we're south so we figured it wouldn't hit us." On the north side of the park residents said they felt few effects from the tornado.

Many homes in the center of the park, including the clubhouse where many residents ran for shelter, still had electricity. Residents said that they did not hear the tornado sirens several miles away in Waite Park and that there was no siren in the park. "It was storming and I looked out at my patio but my barbecue grill wasn't even moving," said Roger Cunningham; By 9:30 p.m. rescue workers had gone through the wreckage several times and were satisfied that noth Tina's husband, Ron, was not at home at the time of the twister. He arrived at the home of her friend just after the phone went dead.

He rushed to the park to find his home destroyed and his wife and baby in the hospital. Witnesses said that at one point a man with cuts on his head stumbled toward the shelter where park residents gathered with an injured baby in his arms. "He couldn't remember his name. But he said he had picked the baby up in the road," said Roberta Taube, wife of manager Mike -Taube. Others were luckier.

"We could see it coming across the field. We saw how black and greenish looking the sky was and we heard there was a touchdown in Melrose so we left right away," said Barbara Mattson, one of the residents of Bel Clare Acres whose mobile home was hit by a tornado Wednesday night. She and her husband Ron were safe and dry at his office when the tornado collapsed 13 trailers in the southeast corner of the park, leaving piles of twisted metal and splintered wood. Theresa Eiler was alone in her trailer home just before the trailer was hit. It was about 7:15 p.m.

A heavy rain had begun to fall and the clouds churned as the yellowish gray sky darkened. "It just got real black and the wind came up and sort of shook the trailer. I got under the table because glass was flying out of the windows," she said. The next thing Eiler knew her neighbor was running toward her trailer through the rain. The woman had a large gash in her head and several other cuts.

Her trailer had rolled off its foundations. Another man was lying injured in her front yard. Roberta Taube watched from the door of a basement shelter where many residents huddled. She saw two funnel clouds. "One came through the main part of the park and didn't touch down.

The other came to the south side and it came down," she said. "It was frightening." Residents crowded in the shelter holding candles and crying children. Many said they heard a sound like the roar of a train. When the sound stopped, Mike Taube ran toward the south side of the park to assess the damage. Within minutes he came running back, tripping on the way and twisting his ankle.

"It's a mess," he told his wife. "Get help." A huge trailer lay on its side on top of a red pickup truck, its contents spilling out into the mud and rain. Nearby a van rested on its roof, wheels in the air. A vacuum cleaner stood undamaged atop one pile of rubble. The darkness was pierced by flashing red and yellow lights from emergency vehicles and huge flood lights that lit the area for rescue workers.

Electricity lines were down, leaving much of the park in darkness and gas lines broken. At the storm shelter near the entrance to the park, shaken resi iwi my giiuiieiiu. luen ail uie windows blew out. I must have landed across the street. I don't know.

I was in shock and I was yelling for my baby. Otherwise I don't remember nothing." tlrt U-U A i -K iici uauy wua uiiy rrcmieii, 10 months, who was the only known fa- tahty in the tornado Wednesday night that left seven others hospitalized. The girl was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, where she died at about 11 Tina uraa lictfwl in nrwl nn A i tion in the hospital today. Four other park residents were also still ui t.j...

evere storm umiusual voir September By LISA WESTBERG Time Staff Writer Wednesday night's storm spawned a "family of does" in an unusual display of late summer turbulent weather, the National Weather Service reported today. The scattered reports of funnel clouds and tornado touchdowns led the weather bureau to conclude that more than one "parent" cloud was spawning funnel clouds during the storm, said forecaster Ed Martineau. Such a severe storm is unusual for September, he said. Tornadoes and thunderstorms are more typical for early summer, he said. The last confirmed tornado in Central Minnesota was Aug.

14, 1978. The storm was caused when two weather systems collided. A cold front collided with warm, moist Gulf of Mexico air, and they started moving eastward at the same time, he said. It was the classic setting for turbulent St. Cloud Airport.

A total of 1.37 inches of rain fell, in less than an hour with one inch falling from 7:32 to 7:47. 735 p.m. A funnel cloud was reported west of Foley by Benton County Sheriffs Department. 735 p.m. A tornado warning was issued for Benton County in effect until 8:30 p.m.

7:40 p.m. Reports of damage to 40 homes in Bel Clare Acres were made by Stearns County Sheriffs Department. Damage was also reported to Angus Acres in Waite Park. 7:45 p.m. Pea-sized hail was reported in Meeker County by Civil Defense Director.

7:57 p.m. Radar showed a line of thunderstorms from Cosmos northeast to Mille Lacs Lake. Northeastern movement at 35 mph. 8 p.m. A severe thunderstorm warning was placed in effect until 9 p.m.

for all of Meeker, southeastern steams, all of Sherburne and Benton counties, including the cities of Litchfield, St. Cloud, Foley and Princeton. 8:50 pjn. A tornado was reported "by the public in Waite Park. 8:50 p.m.

A tornado warning was issued until 9:30 p.m. for northeastern Stearns, all of Benton, western Sherburne counties, including the cities of St. Cloud and Foley. 10 p.m. A strong weather statement was issued by the weather service.

Most thunderstorms had moved out of Central Minnesota. Only small Jiunderstorms remained in eastern Sherburne County. From here, the storm moved into eastern Minnesota and Pope County, Wis. selective. Wind damage tends to be more in one complete line.

This seemed to be picking certain spots out," he said. The tornado probably traveled about one mile in two minutes, Nistler, said. It probably crossed through the metropolitan area in less than 20 minutes, he said, but added that the tornado may have picked up or lost speed as it went. The weather bureau does not have its own radar, but hooks up to the same radar that is used by the Minneapolis weather bureau and Twin Cities television stations, Martineau said. Asked if the system hampered operations last night, Martineau said "I would say yes." He added, "I don't think anybody was hurt because of it." Here is how the storm developed in western Minnesota and moved through the St.

Cloud area: 1:15 p.m. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch in effect from 2 to 8 p.m. for virtually all of Minnesota. 6:10 p.m. The St.

Cloud office of the National Weather Service issued a special weather statement indicating heavy thunderstorms extending north of Clara City to just west of New London in northern Kandiyohi County. The storm was moving northeast at 35 mph. 6:30 p.m. The National Weather Service storm center in Kansas City changed its tornado watch to a severe thunderstorm watch effective until 11:30 p.m. It included a large portion of Minnesota and all of Cen- tral Minnesota.

The advisory was changed because it didn't appear to be spawning tornadoes, Martineau said. 6:30 p.m. Pea-sized hail was reported by the Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Department in Willmar. 6:50 p.m. A tornado touchdown was reported by Stearns County Sheriffs Department in Melrose about 30 miles west of St.

Cloud. 6:50 p.m. A tornado warning was issued for western Stearns County effective until 7:30. 7:03 p.m. A tornado touchdown was reported by the public near Freeport.

7:10 p.m. A tornado touchdown was reported by the public near Avon. The storm was still moving northeast at 35 mph. 7:10 p.m. A tornado warning was issued for the northeastern portion of Stearns County and the northwestern portion of Benton County.

It was to be in effect until 7:45 p.m. 7:12 p.m. A funnel cloud was reported by the public near St. Stephen. 7:15 p.m.

Golf-ball sized hail was reported by the Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Department near Willmar. 7:20 p.m. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for northwestern Meeker, Kandiohi and southern Stearns counties, including the cities of Willmar and Paynesville. 7:30 p.m. A funnel cloud was reported by the Stearns County Sheriffs Department in Waite Park.

732 p.m. Winds clocked at 55 mph, heavy rain, small hail, lightninsr. trees and power lines down and structural damage were reported at the weather station near weamer, ne saia. A total of four touchdowns were reported by the public or law enforcement officials, Martineau said. They were in Melrose, Freeport, Avon and Waite Park.

Three funnel clouds were reported, Martineau said. were in St. Stephen, Waite Park and Foley. The weather service investigated the damage this morning at Bel Clare Acres and Angus Acres and con-, firmed that it was a tornado, not strong, straight line winds that caused the damage about 7:40 p.m., said Ralph Nistler, meteorologist in charge. "It looks like it was a tornado because the damage was tivom page 1 A Storm- vAmam wm1' -v ii ii -f Observers made special mention of "Charlie's Angels," the numerous volunteer citizen organizations, who often help Stearns County Sheriff Charlie Grafft in emergencies.

Emergency volunteers included the volunteer fire departments from Rockville, St. Cloud Township, St. Stephen and St. Martin, the Paynesville ambulance service and the Explorer Scouts post sponsored by the Stearns County Sheriffs Department. While Red Cross volunteers sur- veyed damage at Bel Clare Acres and Angus Acres, storm victims got temporary shelter and food at the Waite Park American Legion Club.

About 200 went to the club during the evening, but only eight stayed overnight. The rest apparently found shelter with friends or relatives. The St. Cloud Salvation Army also stood ready to feed and house people. Both organizations were working today with victims who had immediate needs.

Access to Angus Acres and Bel Clare Acres was controlled by volunteers and police officers. Mayor Robert "Sam" Huston said city officials were still assessing the extent of damage today. "We're keeping track of all the time spent on clean-up, too, and we'll probably file with the county for damage aid," Huston said. He called property damage "significant." The city had telephone offers of assistance from state Rep. Jim Pehler, DFL-St.

Cloud, and U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz, according to Rob Grasslin, an aide to Huston. The help is there, but at this point, we don't have the figures to know what we'll need," he said. Gov.

Al Quie was expected to fly over the area around noon today to survey storm damage on his way to an appointment in Aitkin. He was not expected to land and probably would not survey Melrose, a press aide said. Any decision on an official disaster declaration would not be made until late today or early Friday, the aide said. photo by Steve Wort Dave and Patti Olson talked about the tornado that robbed them of their home Wednesday night. Their infant son, Christopher, slept.

Residents of the park said the baby was found still alive lying in a park road by a man who also was injured. Her mother also was injured and was listed in good condition today at the hosital. Thirteen other people went to the hospital with less serious injuries. First tornado sightings were at Greenwald and Meire Grove. The tornado first struck Melrose, cutting through town and damaging about 40 homes and six businesses about 6:40 p.m.

The Amoco gas station in the center of Melrose was flattened. Further touchdowns were at Free-port near Avon. Then came the big blowout. "The wind started really roaring. The whole trailer just lifted up.

The windows shattered and the lights went out," said Curt Wagner of Bel Clare Acres. The next thing we knew, we were lying on the ceiling, and the rain was coming in." Wagner saw dark clouds outside, heard a roar, pushed his wife, Debbie, to the floor and threw himself on top of her. The two St. Cloud State University students, their dog and their kitten were uninjured. Their mobile home is a total loss.

"I feel just great to be alive," Wagner said. Nancy Magnuson, who was visiting a friend at Bel Clare Acres, said she watched a mobile home blow over. "I heard snap! snap, snap and then the wind. I saw it fly over. "I screamed and hit the floor." The whirlwind skipped about two miles to the Sundial apartments in Waite Park.

It ripped into roofs, blew out windows, wrenched water pipes and sent water spraying throughout the Sundial II and III buildings. Residents scurried into hallways and cowered on the main floor. There were a bunch of us," Susan Jorgens recalled. "We just huddled in the hallway." The wind whirled to the roof of the Apostolic United Pentecostal Church at Stearns County Roads 137 and 138. It flung hunks of the church roof in all directions up to a block away.

Debris crushed a van in the parking lot. The tornado crossed Stearns County Road 138 and came down on the garage of Larry Ouelette. It leapt up again, dropping to take a roof off Oak Manor Apartments. A woman who lives in an Angus Acres apartment building said she heard the tornado hit as she ran upstairs to close a window. By late this morning, Northern States Power officals estimated that roughly 750 to 1,000 people in St.

Cloud were still without electrical service. One pocket of disrupted service was an area from Sixth through Ninth avenues from Fourth Street up on the north side, according to NSP Division Manager Dick Statz. Another pocket was an area between 22nd and 26th avenues on Third Street North. Third Street between 22nd Avenue and 25th Avenue is still blocked to traffic, he said. NSP gas lines in some parts of the city also were ruptured by the storm, Statz said.

No estimate was immediately available. "From the standpoint of vicious-ness, I would say this is one of the worst storms to hit," Statz, a long-time employee of NSP said this moming. The power failure knocked out water service in St. Cloud for about 40 minutes last night, Water Utility Director Gerald Mahon said today. But damage was minimal, Mahon said.

No water mains were ruptured that he knows of. Northwestern Bell was unable to get an accurate count of the number of telephones out of service, but residential manager Sandi Stark said there were at least several hundred. Fifteen repair technicians came from other parts of Central Minnesota to work with 20 already on the job. They began the day with a refresher course in safe handling of equipment and lines in disaster areas. With pipes torn loose at Bel Clare Acres and a strong smell of natural gas, the gas supply to that area was cut off shortly after the impact.

NSP said it could be days before repairs were made and it would be safe to turn the gas back on. NSP will visit each household to relight pilot lights when gas service is resumed. People on the scene Wednesday night had to be warned to put out cigarettes. Besides Tina Hennen, the following people stayed in the hospital at least pvernight: Harold Fuhrer, Sartell; Debbie Dan-elek, Bel Clare Acres; K. Nelson, Waite Park; Anthony Yocus, Bel Clare Acres, and Jeff Hinnenkamp, Bel Clare Acres.

Seven others were treated for minor injuries and released Wednesday night. Immediately after the storm, hundreds of police and fire employees as well as resident volunteers mobilized. At first, many went to Melrose, suspecting the worst damage was there. But about 7:40 p.m., several emergency vehicles hurried back to Waite Park and St. Cloud.

The force knocked her to the floor. "It sounded like everything was flying through the windows," she remembered. 'It sounded like a train overhead." The shock redoubled when she stood up and saw two houses across the street had been destroyed. "I was terrified when I thought that there were people in those houses," she said. Norman Clarke, another Angus Acres apartment resident at 523 St.

Andrews Drive, said he heard the tornado hit "with one big bang." Outside, he found garages on both sides of his building leveled. A boat was newly parked in front of his garage door. Next stop on the tour of destruction was 33rd Avenue and First Street South. The tornado continued its approach from the southwest, slamming into Arby's Restaurant. The building was severly damaged.

Jay Darby, night manager, said the restaurant sign was blown about 70 feet across the lot and landed in the window of the Western Shop at Plaza West Shopping Center. Darby had gone outside after hearing a report of a touchdown in Waite Park. He saw the funnel about 20 seconds before it hit. Employees huddled together, and no one in the restaurant was hurt. After blowing windows out of all the Plaza West shops, the tornado headed east, moving the Spur Service Station roof into the Baston Chevrolet truck sales lot on the south side of Division Street.

Then it slashed across Division Street and came down next on the roof of the 2700 Building, an office building at 27th Avenue and First1 Street North. Much of the building's roof was left in the street. Other buildings and houses in the vicinity were damaged. The storm began to sputter a little but, in a last havoc-wreaking burst, tore out power lines, twisted and uprooted stately oaks and saplings, doing its final damage by depositing debris on the city's north side. It lost much of its thrust after crossing the Mississippi River, but it damaged Midway Iron and other buildings on Lincoln Avenue Northeast, ing the Mississippi River, but it damaged Midway Iron and other buildings on Lincoln Avenue Northeast.

Benton County reported little damage, but a barn near Gilman was destroyed. At the height of the disaster, as many as 2,000 homes in the St. Cloud area and more in western Stearns County were without electricity. plsons- the dark, Dave, too, found the room. It remained intact but the first floor of the home stands crumpled and torn today.

Water soaked into basement carpets. Green, wet insulation blown from roofs covers much of the subdi- vision and is splattered on the out- walls. The Olsens' story typifies the experiences of many in the 15-year-old development. The storm moved quickly, swirled wood, roofs and walls apart, and left its victims numb. Residents said the tornado came through the area after it damaged the Bel Clare Acres Mobile Home Park.

It damaged the roof of the Sundial Apartments first, bursting water pipes. It moved slightly east and threw the roof of the Apostolic United Penecostal Church over the "roof of Angushire Apartments, wood and shingles in a large yard and crushing a van in the church parking lot. It tore out a ga- rage as it crossed Stearns County Road 138 and roared into Angus Acres. Although the storm ripped windows out of most houses, its hardest punch was aimed at the section near the St. Andrews Drive Apartments, about a half mile east of County Road 138.

Several of the apartments buildings were without roofs and walls. At one home, a wall at the middle of the house was dislodged and shifted about 30 degrees. After that, the storm hit the Olsens' house at 490 Kirkwell. Although the Olsons' house, which was three years old, was insured, Dave said he is not sure the couple will be able to rebuild it. Both the Olsens are physical education teachers, and they have lived in the house since it was built.

Damage in the neighborhood was estimated at more than $2 million, although officials said they would not have complete damage figures until later. Some of the Olsens' neighbors were untouched by the storm, but Dave said he didn't feel it was an unfair act of fate that their house was destroyed. "He's alive," he said glancing at Christopher, asleep and wrapped in a blanket. "We're alive. I don't care about the house." But then he paused.

His hands quivered. His eyes stared at a point on the floor and he grimaced. "Yeah," he said, "it's unfair." Staff writers Given Flanders, Dave Daley, Lisa Westberg, Damon Darlin, Sally Thompson, Joel Rutchick, Beth Linnen, Mary Lahrand Kristin Gilger contributed to this article..