Power outage in Minneapolis
Thousands of XCel Energy customers lost power on Sunday due to the wet weather and salt on roads, XCel Energy said. MPR
600 customers are still without power, a number down from a peak of 7,000 on Sunday. Power transformers were short-circuited because of the combined weather and salt spray, and the tops of some of the poles caught on fire, XCel Energy said. No other damage was reported. Star Tribune
The power outage hit three areas of St. Paul and one in Oakdale, along with some 1,000 customers in northeast Minneapolis. MPR
"We always tell people to stay away from lines and call us," said Tom Hoen, a spokesman for XCel Energy. "But people need not be overly concerned." Star Tribune