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County: It’s an emergency

FAIRMONT — Martin County commissioners held a special meeting Tuesday to declare a state of emergency in the county, because of a violent storm that passed through the area less than one week ago.

The brief rain and wind storm hit Fairmont about 6 p.m. Thursday and lasted only about 20 minutes. But straight-line winds took down branches and trees all over town, blocking streets and knocking out power, which took a day or more to restore in some spots.

The National Weather Service said tornadoes touched down near or in both Ceylon and Granada as part of the storm. Granada was shut down and no one allowed in after the storm hit, as crews worked to restore power to about 150 residences and businesses there.

Commissioners on Tuesday considered and passed the resolution unanimously. Their action marked the second time such a declaration has been made in 2018, after a state of emergency was declared in June, because of rains and flooding. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton ended up declaring a state emergency for several dozen counties as part of the June storms. And President Trump issued a federal disaster declaration following Dayton’s request to do so. A similar process could be set in motion this time around.

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