1981 Twin Cities Har-Mar Tornado

[John Paulson]

On June 14, 1981 the twin cities metro area was hit by a tornado that affected parts of the metro are. The har-mar mall area was the most heavily damaged part of the area. WCCO radio was broadcasting that afternoon and here is part of the broadcast on that fateful afternoon.

http://www.radiotapes.com/WCCO/WCCO-AM_Tornado_6-14-81_1.mp3

 

[Russell Jones]

I have debated writing up my memoirs of that tornado. I personally knew and spoke with several witnesses who actually experienced that tornado first hand. It was the second worst Tornado outbreak (up to that date) to hit the Twin Cities since the 1965 outbreak. It was also the tornado that inspired the birth of the electronics giant, Best Buy, to happen!

 

[John Paulson]

PArt 2 of WCCO coverage of that afternoon. Part of the reason WCCO had regular programing before the Tornado touched down was that Major League Baseball had gone out on strike father the previous Thursday nights games.

http://www.radiotapes.com/WCCO/WCCO-AM_Tornado_6-14-81_2.mp3

 

[John Paulson]

I have debated writing up my memoirs of that tornado. I personally knew and spoke with several witnesses who actually experienced that tornado first hand. It was the second worst Tornado outbreak (up to that date) to hit the Twin Cities since the 1965 outbreak. It was also the tornado that inspired the birth of the electronics giant, Best Buy, to happen!

I have a funny story from earlier that morning. There were a couple of tornadoes that had touched down early that morning in southern minnesota and the said thunderstorms were continuing to move towards us. At about 6:00 AM or so our fire department phone rang (dad was on the fire department) and we heard there was an unconfirmed report of a funnel cloud near us. I heard the phone ring and asked mom afterward what it was. She told me and that was it. Since we lived in a trailer house I was out of the house faster than you can say shazam and ran to the neighbors house who had a basement. Mom got dressed and came over. There was no funnel cloud but someone decided to be cautious and not take any chances. In regard to this storm I remember the TV coverage as the TV stations in the Twin Cities(mainly 4 and 5) were upgrading the weather departments. KSTP(5) had just gotten a doppler radar and 4 was trying to keep up.

 

[Russell Jones]

I have a funny story from earlier that morning. There were a couple of tornadoes that had touched down early that morning in southern minnesota and the said thunderstorms were continuing to move towards us. At about 6:00 AM or so our fire department phone rang (dad was on the fire department) and we heard there was an unconfirmed report of a funnel cloud near us. I heard the phone ring and asked mom afterward what it was. She told me and that was it. Since we lived in a trailer house I was out of the house faster than you can say shazam and ran to the neighbors house who had a basement. Mom got dressed and came over. There was no funnel cloud but someone decided to be cautious and not take any chances. In regard to this storm I remember the TV coverage as the TV stations in the Twin Cities(mainly 4 and 5) were upgrading the weather departments. KSTP(5) had just gotten a doppler radar and 4 was trying to keep up.

I was expecting severe weather that day as it was really humid and rather warm. I had a new girl-friend up in Soderville, MN, and I was on my way to pick her up when I heard of large hail out by Lake Minnetonka. I thought perhaps a tornado was imminent. My hope was to pick up my new girl-friend (who loved storms as well) and hightail it back to the cities in time to catch the severe weather. As it turned out the tornado was already on the ground before I arrived at my girl-friend's house. After picking her up, I raced back down towards the cities listening to the storm reports on a make-shift weather radio I had wired up in my car. By the time I finally arrived the tornado had dissipated. However, it's path had covered many personal friend's homes and places of employment. It is the stories they told me of the tornado passing that I'd like to write up someday, as the memories are starting to get fuzzy now.

 

[John Paulson]

I was expecting severe weather that day as it was really humid and rather warm. I had a new girl-friend up in Soderville, MN, and I was on my way to pick her up when I heard of large hail out by Lake Minnetonka. I thought perhaps a tornado was imminent. My hope was to pick up my new girl-friend (who loved storms as well) and hightail it back to the cities in time to catch the severe weather. As it turned out the tornado was already on the ground before I arrived at my girl-friend's house. After picking her up, I raced back down towards the cities listening to the storm reports on a make-shift weather radio I had wired up in my car. By the time I finally arrived the tornado had dissipated. However, it's path had covered many personal friend's homes and places of employment. It is the stories they told me of the tornado passing that I'd like to write up someday, as the memories are starting to get fuzzy now.

Funny but I also remember the weather that afternoon as being hot and humid and IIRC the night before in Southern MN there had been a tornado watch that extended into the overnight hours. I somehow remember that there were some Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for counties for where we lived(or close to it) at about 11:00 PM on Saturday night. But of course I was only 9 at the time and memories may have faded.

 

[John Paulson]

I have since confirmed there were Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for my home county the night before at about 11 PM and I do remember hearing them on them KCPI FM out of Albert Lea MN. At the time they signed off at midnight and I don’t remember if they stayed on past sign off due to a Tornado Watch being in effect. And FWIW years later after they went to a 24 hour broadcast schedule I worked there as the overnight guy(the AM station KATE also went 24 hours)