National Weather Service says microburst was to blame for storm damage in Bemidji and Beltrami County

BELTRAMI CO, Minn. (KVRR/FOX9)  National Weather Service confirms the Bemidji area was hit by a microburst with winds that reached up to 120 miles per hour last Saturday.

The survey summary states a severe thunderstorm created “a 10-mile-wide swath of destructive straight-line winds”.

It hit downtown Bemidji and through the southern and eastern areas of Lake Bemidji.

Homes and vehicles were damaged.

Some of the downed trees are reported to be between 100 and 200 years old.

More than 50,000 customers were left without power, some for days.

Gov. Tim Walz has declared a peacetime emergency and directed state agencies to provide additional assistance to support recovery efforts in Beltrami County.