Winds from a thunderstorm in the early hours of Tuesday, July 22 caused trees to blow down in a swath through the Superior National Forest, with most of the impact in northern St. Louis County. However, a falling tree injured a 13-year-old girl in Cook County and blown down trees slowed transport to the hospital.
Cook County Law Enforcement received a call from YMCA Camp Menogyn that the girl had suffered some sort of injury. The caller said she was conscious and talking, but having difficulty breathing.
Gunflint First Responders reached the patient and started down the Gunflint Trail, but trees hindered progress. Gunflint responders asked if Grand Marais Responders and Cook County Ambulance could meet them at Trail Center.
The Gunflint Responders were able to make it down the Trail further than expected and they met the Cook County Ambulance near The Pines on the Gunflint. The patient was transported to North Shore Hospital. No further information on her condition is available.
The only other storm-related incident reported to Cook County Law Enforcement was about a pontoon boat that broke loose from its moorings on Devil Track Lake.
In St. Louis County, the storm’s impact was much greater with seven injuries to campers in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Campers were rescued by boat and floatplane through the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Forest Service LaCroix District, Crane Lake Volunteer Fire Department, St. Louis County Sheriff ’s Office, the Morse Lake/Fall Lake First Responders and area businesses beginning at around 3 a.m.
Several campers were found to be still trapped in their tents at noon. Responders used chainsaws to extricate them.
In response to the storm, an Interagency Incident Management Team was formed to ensure other campers were not in need of assistance and assess storm impacts. Two Forest Service wilderness crews were already in the area of the storm and were redirected to check the safety of BWCAW visitors. Two Forest Service floatplanes flew patrols looking for any other injured parties and to assess the damage. One additional Forest Service crew was inserted by floatplane to Lac LaCroix. A Minnesota State Patrol helicopter was on standby for closer assessments but was not utilized. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources used aircraft to help with public safety and storm damage assessments on the Canadian side of the border.
According to Kris Reichenbach, spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service, the Forest Service does not plan to close any part of the Superior National Forest due to the storm, including the BWCAW. Visitors to the Superior National Forest and surrounding area are urged to watch for downed trees and take particular caution around trees that may have been damaged but are partially suspended or not already on the ground.
Reichenbach said this is a reminder that visitors need to be prepared for conditions that may result from natural occurrences in the wilderness and can expect downed trees on some portages and campsites as a result of this storm.
Crews will continue patrols to assess and remove blown down trees as appropriate, said Reichenbach.
According to the National Weather Service in Duluth, the storm was a derecho, a line of intense wind racing across country at speeds of 50 – 70 mph. This storm was very similar to the one that struck the BWCAW in 1999.
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