1965 — May 6, tornadoes, Anoka, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey, Sibley counties, MN –13-14

–14 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1073-1074.
–3 Carver/Hennepin/Anoka counties. 18:27 F4 tornado
–4 Sibley/Carver/Hennepin counties. 18:50 F4 tornado
–1 Hennepin/Anoka counties. 20:10 F4 tornado
–6 Hennepin/Anoka/Ramsey counties 20:40 F4 tornado
–14 Weather Bureau. Storm Data, Vol. 7, No. 5, May 1965, p. 44. Asheville, NC: 1965.*
–2 Anoka County, Fridley
–1 Anoka County,, Fridley tornado number 2, an infant at the Fridley Trailer Court.
–1 Carver County, three miles southeast of Hamburg
–1 Hennepin County, Highland Park (our speculation; text notes Island Park.)
–2 Hennepin County, Mound
–6 Ramsey County, Mounds View.
–13 NOAA. Storm Events Database. Search Results for all Counties in MN 5-6-1964, Tornado.
–3 Carver County 18:08 F4 Tornado
–1 Sibley County 18:43 F2 Tornado
–3 Anoka County 19:06 F4 Tornado
–6 Hennepin County 20:25 F4 Tornado

*Blanchard note on Storm Data report. While 14 deaths are noted in “title” line, we see only thirteen deaths noted in the descriptions of six tornadoes which follows.

Narrative Information

Grazulis: “MN. MAY 6, 1965 1827 3k 175inj 200y f27m F4. CARVER/HENNEPIN /ANOKA–This event is the first of six strong or violent tornadoes in the Minneapolis area, and the event itself was probably a family of tornadoes. During that evening, 24 hook-shaped echoes appeared on the Minneapolis WBAS radar, and 4000 people were left homeless. There was a twenty minute warning given, even for this first tornado. The first damages were lm S of Chanhassen, where 30 homes were damaged or destroyed. From there, the tornado moved to the N, damaging a lumberyard and a shopping center. Continuing to the N, it damaged 35 homes at Lotus Lake and damaged or destroyed 50 homes at Christmas Lake. At Deephaven, 100 homes were torn apart, and the first homes were leveled….Beyond Deephaven, the damage was not continuous. The tornado turned to the NE, passing south of Medicine Lake. Six homes were damaged in Golden Valley. The funnel crossed the Mississippi River to Fridley, the first of three major tornadoes in that town in just two hours. Clocks in Fridley stopped at 1910, but this was not the major damage- producer in that town. To the NE of Fridley, the tornado struck the Anoka County airport at Blaine, destroying or damaging 25 planes.”

“MN. MAY 6, 1965 1850 4k 50inj 800y 40m F4. SIBLEY/CARVER/HENNEPIN–Sighted by a pilot near Green Isle, Sibley County, this tornado leveled at least a half dozen farms and ripped apart 20 others as it moved to the NE across Carver and Hennepin Counties. A farmer was killed, along with a barn-full of prize cattle, 3m SE of Hamburg. Barely missing the towns of Norwood, Young America, and Waconia, the funnel in this area was reported to be 3/4 mile wide. In the Island Park-Mound area, three people were killed in three of 17 homes that were destroyed. About 16 homes were destroyed at Navarre, which was most of the community. Thirty farms lost all barns and outbuildings. Twenty farms lost homes.”

“MN. MAY 6, 1965 2010 lk 150inj 200y 7m F4. HENNEPIN/ANOKA—This tornado first touched down in extreme NW Minneapolis, striking the Northern Ordnance industrial area, and moving NNE into Fridley. This visually spectacular tornado hit Fridley’s main school and park complex as well as the trailer court and hundreds of homes. Over 300 people were in Fridley Junior High for an evening program, but only one child was injured. An infant died in one of the 200 trailers that were destroyed. Continuing to the NNE, the funnel struck Spring Lake Park with greater intensity, leveling some of the 150 homes that were listed as destroyed. About 75% of the businesses in Spring Lake Park were destroyed, and 900 people were left homeless. The tornado dissipated here. Losses from all three tornadoes at Fridley (especially from this and the next tornado) totaled $14,500,000, with at least $5,000,000 of that to the school system. About 425 homes were destroyed, and 1100 were damaged. About 200 trailers were damaged or destroyed.”

“MN. MAY 6, 1965 2040 6k 150inj 400y 21m F4. HENNEPIN/ANOKA/RAMSEY–After damaging 25 homes and eight businesses in Golden Valley, this erratic tornado moved ENE, then NNE into the same Fridley trailer park as the previous tornado. Many people had taken shelter in a cinder-block wash house, and escaped injury. This tornado passed between the paths of the first and fifth tornadoes in this series, but the paths were so close that some properties were hit three times. It intensified as it passed into Mounds View, in the NW corner of Ramsey County. Forty-six homes were destroyed at Mounds View, six people were killed, and damage totaled about $1,000,000. Many homes were completely leveled. The funnel then skipped across several lakes in Anoka County, and lifted north of Centerville. The final total for all events was $51,000,000.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1073-1074)

Weather Bureau. Storm Data: “Minnesota…McLeod, Sibley, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Isanti, Chisago, Kanabec, Washington counties…6 [May]…6:26-9:20p…14 [killed]…Tornadoes, funnel clouds, winds, and hail.

“A family of 6 tornadoes struck an 11 county region with greatest damage and concentration southwest and just north of Minneapolis. Through the evening 24 hook shaped echoes appeared on the Minneapolis WBAS radar and a large number of confirmed and unconfirmed funnel clouds reported. Many reports of hail, up to golf ball size, throughout the region.

“The first touchdown occurred at a farm 1 mile south of Chanhassen. The tornado then skipped northward to Chanhassen hitting a lumber yard and 6 buildings in a shopping center in a path 150 yards wide. Two clocks in the vicinity stopped at 6:27p. From here northward to Lotus Lake, about 20 homes received major damage or destroyed with 15 homes having minor damage. The tornado continued northward into the Christmas Lake area where 18 homes destroyed and 32 received major damage. It then moved over Deephaven damaging 100 homes, curved northeastward, thereby going south of Medicine Lake, touched down briefly at Highway 100 in Golden Valley (where it inflicted major damage on at least 6 homes.) Several homes in Minneapolis were damaged before it moved over the Mississippi River into the lower section of the suburb of Fridley. Here it traveled northward hitting the Northern Ordinance Division of the FMC Corporation at 7:05p continuing through Fridley. At Fridley City Hall the clock stopped at 7:10p giving the time of the first of three tornadoes to hit this suburb. Many Fridley residents hit by 2 tornadoes in an hour and 35 minutes period; some suffered damage from all three. Excellent warnings by the Weather Bureau and fast dissemination by radio held the Fridley death count to two people. Damage from the three tornadoes in Fridley included 425 demolished and 1100 badly damaged homes. About 1,700 people had to leave their homes and find temporary shelter elsewhere. The Fridley school district superintendent estimated the damage to schools alone at about $5 million. Twenty thousand phones were out of service during the night in the northern suburbs. After Fridley this first tornado skipped northward passing just west of Spring Lake Park and touching down near Blaine, severely damaging Anoka County Airport and destroying 10 planes.

“A second tornado reported at 6:50p near Green Isle by an airline pilot. It moved northeastward flattening farm buildings and trees. Three miles SE of Hamburg a farmer killed along with a barn-full of prize cattle at 6:55p The funnel cut a ¼ mile wide swath through here. It continued northeastward just missing Norwood-Young American, and Waconia in a path of snapped, twisted, and stripped trees that sometimes was as wide as ½ to ¾ of a mile. All buildings completely destroyed on 20 farms in this 8 mile long section of the track. The vortex moved upward and descended again near Hwy #7, west of Lake Minnetonka. It moved over Island Park, killing one woman, and destroying 8 homes and 3 farm building units. It continued through Mound killing 2 people and damaging many homes. Moving through Spring Park and Navarre it destroyed about 30 homes., many boats, and a resort, and badly damaged the Navarre business district. IT crossed Hwy #2, just west of Wayzata, destroying the Country Club horse barn. From here it moved into the Hamel area where it apparently dissipated.

“The third tornado began about 6:55p midway between New Auburn and Glencoe and moved about 15 miles to the northeast dissipating near Lester Prairie. It followed a zig-zag pattern, destroying or badly damaging 25 farm building units and demolishing a church and school Damage estimate placed at about $1 million.

“The fourth tornado touched down about 7:15p and followed a short path from southwest of Cologne (west of Gotha) to just northeast of Cologne. Three barns destroyed.

“The fifth tornado first observed near the Minneapolis-Fridley border at 37th Ave. NE and Marshall. Several people had observed a huge funnel cloud form in the Chanhassen area sometime before and move northward. This may have been the beginning of this tornado. It moved from northwestern Minneapolis eastward over Northern Ordinance (the second strike on this large industrial complex) at 8:10p and then NNE across Fridley. It hit Fridley’s main school and park complex, among other structures, then moved northeasterly and struck the Fridley Trailer Court. This and the sixth tornado both hit this 275 unit trailer court. Two-hundred trailers were destroyed, some apparently had exploded, but only one person, an infant, killed. Many people in this Park took shelter in the cinderblock wash house. The tornado continued northward from here into the next suburb, Spring Lake Park. Here 150 homes destroyed and 145 heavily damaged. About 75% of Spring Lake Park businesses in the city were demolished and 900 people were left homeless. The tornado lifted or dissipated at this point, although sometime later there was wind damage to 3 farms in Braham area 50 miles NNE of Spring Lake Park.

“The sixth tornado first touched down in Golden Valley near 8:40p at Douglas Drive and Hiway #55 damaging 25 homes and 8 businesses. It travelled northeastward touching down again in Fridley (the third tornado to hit Fridley) near Hiway #100 and University, moved northward through Fridley between the paths of tornado number one and number five. It curved ENE at Mississippi St., then turned northward again just west of Hwy #65 and went through the Fridley Trailer Court. It moved northeastward through the suburb of Mounds View where 6 people killed and 150 injured. At least 45 homes and 6 apartment buildings destroyed. Total damage in Mounds View amounted to about one million dollars. The tornado continued moving northeastward passing over Centerville Lake at 8:57p. Four farms north of here damaged in a ¼ mile wide path. It then continued moving northeastward as a funnel cloud touching down again briefly in the Almelund area at 9:20p where it snapped trees and damaged buildings on 3 farms.”

(Weather Bureau. Storm Data, Vol. 7, No. 5, May 1965, p. 44.)

Sources

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), National Centers for Environmental Information. Storm Events Database. Search Results for all Counties in MN 5-6-1964, Tornado. Accessed 6-4-2022 at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=06&beginDate_yyyy=1965&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=06&endDate_yyyy=1965&county=ALL&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=27%2CMINNESOTA

Weather Bureau. Storm Data, Vol. 7, No. 5, May 1965. Asheville, NC: Weather Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 6-4-2022 at: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-8B302398-B7BC-434E-9DCF-12D80A0DFDBC.pdf