At least 27 tornadoes hopscotched across Minnesota on June 17, tying the state record for the largest number of twisters in one day, according to the National Weather Service.
The record is likely to be broken once all the tornadoes are counted. The National Weather Service office in Grand Forks, N.D., has not been able to finalize its June 17 total.
Combining the totals from the National Weather Service offices in Chanhassen, Duluth and La Crosse, Wis., 27 tornadoes touched down on June 17.
The old record of 27 twisters was set on June 16, 1992.
Rochester was among the cities affected. An EF1-force tornado struck on June 17, damaging homes in the northwest quadrant of the city. No one was injured.
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Tornadoes also did damage in Freeborn County.
"It has just been way too busy to tally all the damage … but it looks quite likely that 2010 will set a record for tornadoes in one year," the weather service said in a statement. "That record of 74 was set in 2001."
June 17 also has special significance to Austin residents. On that date in 2009, a devastating tornado swept through portions of Austin.
