The steps implemented by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board in storm response are:
Open emergency routes
Open all roads
Remove downed boulevard trees on houses
Remove hazardous trees from public property
Pick up debris on boulevards and remove hanging limbs
Remove stumps
Storm-damaged trees and debris
Please do not take or store elm or ash wood from a storm or any time during the year. Help forestry crews prevent the spread of Emerald Ash Borer
and Dutch Elm Disease.
If your boulevard tree has been downed by a storm, contact the Forestry Department at 612-313-7710 to request a new tree.
Be careful around storm-damaged trees.
Approach a storm damaged tree with extreme caution. Trees that have fallen into an energized line may be deadly. If you suspect that a tree is in contact with an energized wire, stay clear and contact Xcel Energy immediately at 1-800-895-4999.
If you see a public tree that is leaning, has broken branches, hanging limbs or any defects that post safety concerns, contact Forestry at 612-313-7710.
May 22, 2011 Tornado
After a tornado touched down for a 3.5 mile span through north Minneapolis, MPRB staff throughout the organization began working to clean tree debris and provide services to affected residents. The Forestry Department, with the assistance of the City of Minneapolis and St. Paul, cleared more than 2,600 downed trees in residential areas as well as parks. Trees removed from the tornado areas were transported to the former Scherer Bros. property for chipping.
Beginning May 24, Farview Recreation Center became the Disaster Recovery Center, a place for residents to get help with a variety of services from household supplies to food to medical and clothing assistance. Upon restoring power that was outed during the storm, North Commons Recreation Center was opened on May 27 for use as a temporary Red Cross shelter, housing residents whose homes were made uninhabitable by the tornado. The shelter remained in operation at the recreation center until June 19.
