On This Date In Twin Cities History - March 29, 1998

On this date in 1998, Minnesota experienced an unseasonably-strong tornado outbreak that produced 14 tornados – thirteen of which were spawned by a single supercell thunderstorm. This supercell remained intact for approximately 150 miles as it moved across the southern part of the state during the late-afternoon hours.  In all, two people were killed, and 21 others were injured. Most of the damage was caused by three tornadoes—an F4 that hit the town of Comfrey,  an F3 that hit St. Peter, and an F2 that hit Le Center.  In Comfrey, 75% of the structures in the town were damaged or destroyed.  The outbreak broke many early-season tornado records for the state of Minnesota. The 14 total tornadoes in the state were the most to ever touch down on a single day in March.