Severe weather delivers another blow to S.W. Minn.

WORTHINGTON, Minn. - Another round of severe weather pummeled southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa on Monday afternoon, with funnel cloud sightings, hail, straight-line winds and heavy downpours of rain reported across the region.
On the heels of torrential rains that flooded a large portion of Rock County early Sunday and thoroughly soaked the ground elsewhere, Monday’s storm system dumped more rain over the already waterlogged area.
In Worthington, a funnel cloud was photographed and tornado sirens were sounded twice, just before 4 p.m. and again at about 5 p.m. Downed branches and flooded roads were reported throughout the city.
An additional 1.9 inches of precipitation was measured at the Worthington Daily Globe rain gauge Monday afternoon, and storms continued to march through during the evening hours.
Adrian City Administrator Bruce Heitkamp reported the Adrian Municipal Campground was evacuated and people were moved into a shelter area.
“We evacuated about 20-25 people, and a few people driving along Interstate 90 stopped in for shelter when the sirens went off,” he said.
Rock County Sheriff Evan Verbrugge said high winds were to blame for a tractor-trailer that toppled on Interstate 90, west of Magnolia, and another that jack-knifed on U.S. 75, just north of Luverne. The I-90 incident blocked both of the westbound lanes.
Luverne and Rock County were inundated with heavy rains over the weekend, raising the Rock River. Numerous residents had water and/or sewer backup in the basements, and Verbrugge said Monday the same residences were likely hit again.
“We are an island,” he said of Luverne.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Minnesota State Patrol closed U.S. 75 north of Luverne at about 3:30 p.m. Monday due to flooding over the road. Minnesota 23 near Jasper was also reported to have water running over the road. A tractor-trailer rig tipped on its side and blocked lanes of Interstate 90 between Luverne and Magnolia.
Additionally, power outages were reported through much of the rural area of southwest Minnesota. More than 1,000 people were estimated to be without power early Monday evening.