Bass Lake Residents Clean Up After Wind Topples 200-Plus Trees

BASS LAKE, Minn. — Wild weather Tuesday evening on the Iron Range created damaging winds that hit the Gilbert, Aurora and Hoyt Lakes region.

Courtesy: Alicia Schroeder

Powerlines came down, along with hundreds of trees, especially on Bass Lake – just southeast of Gilbert.

The National Weather Service does not believe a tornado caused the damage.  They believe it was straight-line winds reaching around 90 mph.

More than 200 trees were uprooted or snapped in the Bass Lake area.

St. Louis County Public Works crews were dispatched Tuesday night to the area and again Wednesday to assess the damage, clear away trees blocking roads and work with Lake Country Power.

Courtesy: Lori Ekman

“At this time of the year in the morning it was dark, so I really didn’t get the whole effect until I came home after work at 11:30 this morning,” said Joan Olson, a homeowner on Bass Lake. “I left at 4 a.m., so I didn’t even see, but it’s bad and Hoyt Lakes got hit pretty hard. It’s weird the path it took, because we kind of drove around, but yeah, total devastation.”

Some structures were crushed by falling trees, but nobody was injured.

St. Louis County officials are asking anyone who sees roads blocked by trees to call 911.

County Emergency Management will be working with townships, cities and electrical co-ops to determine if a disaster declaration should be requested.