ROLLINGSTONE, Minn. (KTTC) – The city of Rollingstone has made significant progress in its cleanup efforts; this is after a confirmed EF-1 tornado swept through Winona County on Tuesday.
“Even minutes after the tornado hit, people were coming out of their houses,” Rollingstone resident Karl Erickson said. “They were helping each other, helping check on people, make sure people were safe, and then helping clear damage.”
Erickson stated he is proud to live in Rollingstone. He said, “I am proud of all my neighbors and how hard they have worked.”
Erickson shared many community members volunteered in a heart beat. He commended Kendall Lumber—a local business that donated its trucks, employees, and equipment to help with restoration.
“My immediate thought process was I wanted to to make sure everybody was safe and hopefully there weren’t any injuries. I was just concerned about the community and what [the tornado] did to the structures and to the families that had storm damage. We just wanted to help get it cleaned up and help out as much as we can.”
Locals explained a tornado in Rollingstone is a rare occurrence. “Maybe it’s an old wives’ tale or something, but they say that tornadoes never come down into the valleys,” Backes said. “Well, I guess that was proven wrong the other day.”
Rollingstone City Clerk/Treasurer Jamie Hengel stated even people from Caledonia and Winona offered to help.
“That’s neighbors helping neighbors,” she said. “Rollingstone is a very special place. Our community members know each other. It’s a small family the way they came together and the way everyone’s looking out for everyone here. You may not know the neighbor from five streets down, but everyone showed up and everyone helped and that’s the best thing about this small city.”
Winona County law enforcement confirmed Thursday afternoon there were no injuries caused by the tornado.
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