Deadly Otter Tail County Tornado Rated EF4, Peak Wind of 170 mph

DALTON, Minn. (AP) — Forecasters have rated a deadly tornado that struck farmland in western Minnesota as a category EF4, with a peak wind conservatively estimated at 170 mph.

The National Weather Service said the tornado started as a weak tornado that grew out of a rapidly developing supercell thunderstorm, quickly growing into a violent twister that killed one person and injured two others near Dalton on Wednesday evening.

The tornado was on the ground about a half hour, according to the weather service. The tornado ripped a path about 9 miles long, with a maximum width of 650 yards.

A 30-year-old man was killed when the tornado destroyed a machine shop. A couple suffered minor injuries when the tornado obliterated their home.