Share this pageReminiscences of June, a Traveling Grandmother
Chapter: 13 -1965, May 6th - June and The Fridley Tornadoes
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 29 May 2008 18:54
- Written by Stanton O. Berg
---
"CHAPTER 13."
---
"JUNE AND THE FRIDLEY TORNADOES - 6 MAY 1965"
---
---
(Fiirst of two Fridley Tornados arriving from Southwest heading NE)
---
June and Stan Berg's first home in Fridley in 1957, on Washington Street (6361 Washington Street) was seriously damaged in two tornadoes that struck Fridley (one hour apart) on Thursday May 6th 1965. Washington Street at June's and Stan's home was only a block long running north and south and just below Mississippi St. The Fridley Commons Park was in the next block south of June's home and at the end of Washington Street.
One of the local papers described the events as “Suburbia’s Longest Night.” The U.S. Weather Bureau recorded a total of 6 tornadoes in an 11 county area that included the Twin Cities. The duration of the tornadoes was from 6:27 to 9:20 PM. The greatest damage was concentrated around the Twin Cities. While Minneapolis was largely untouched, the suburbs to the south west, west and north of the Twin Cities were heavily battered. Extensive damage took place in the suburbs of Fridley, Blaine, Spring Lake Park, Mounds View, Chanhassen, Minnetonka, Golden Valley, Navarre, Deephaven and Wayzata.
Fridley received by far the greatest damage from the tornadoes...two (2) of the tornadoes went directly through Fridley resulting in destruction or severe damage to 2,500 homes and death of 13 People with injuries to 683.
The Weather Bureau uses the Fujita Scale to measure the strength or intensity of Tornadoes. The scale has 5 levels. F0 to F5. (40-72 mph winds to 261-318 mph winds.) F0 has winds of 40-72 mph. F5 has winds of 261 to 318 mph. F0 to F1 are described as weak tornadoes. F2 to F3 are said to be Strong Tornadoes. F4 to F5 are described as Violent Tornadoes. The weather Bureau classified both Fridley Tornadoes as F4 Tornadoes. (207 to 260 mph winds.)
These Tornadoes were said to be the worst to strike Fridley since 1919 and there has been (as of 2019) nothing even remotely close since that awful night. The Tornadoes caused National attention to be focused on Fridley
---
While Stan did not see President Lyndon B. Johnson’s presence on scene following the tornado’s, there certainly were considerable other politicians, national and state government officials wandering Fridley’s devastation.
---
VICE PRESIDENT HUBERT HUMPHREY
---
(VP President H. Humphrey addressed crowd at, Fridley Commons)
---
(VP Hubert Humphrey)
“I have never seen anything like it. I’ve seen many disaster areas but never one as bad as this that I can remember…the damage I’ve seen is comparable to a war, and I give you my good wishes, my best hopes and my prayers.”
---
Humphrey’s tour was accompanied by Governor Karl Rolvaag, Senator Walter Mondale and Mrs. Humphrey. Senator Eugene McCarthy also toured the area. They all pledged prompt federal aid to the disaster sufferers.
---
The National Guard was out in force to protect and prevent looting.
I would hope that the next time Fridley is the center of State and National attention, it is under happier circumstances.
---
(Berg Home, Washington Street NE, days after storm - temporary repairs)
---
(Garage door opening is askew as concrete floor separated from house)
---
Because the path of two of the tornadoes included Fridley and because these two tornadoes actually crossed in the center of Fridley, the damage to Fridley was by far the most extensive.
Many businesses were destroyed including heavy damage to the Northern Ordnance Plant and Midland Cooperatives. Damage to the Fridley schools was extensive including the Junior High School, the Senior High School, Hayes elementary and Parkview elementary. One of the newspaper headlines described the Fridley damage as “Utter Devastation.”
June's and Stan's church, the Redeemer Lutheran Church was set up as an after the storm shelter. The church collected clothing for children who had lost theirs in the storm. One newspaper account pictured small children trying on clothing at the church. June was proud that her church was in the forefront in providing aid to the community following the storm.
While World War II is described as the big one when discussing wars, the Fridley tornado is also described as the “big one” when discussing Minnesota tornadoes. There has never been a Minnesota Tornado this deadly or of this magnitude, causing such a loss of life and injuries since the tornado of 23 June 1919 that struck Fergus Falls killing 59 people. Nor have any this deadly struck subsequent to the Fridley Tornadoes.
At around 6:00 PM, the storm could be seen approaching from the southwest as a huge bank of greenish dark clouds with lightening glows from within. When the tornado struck, June and Stan's family was all huddled in the basement except for son Dan. Dan (then age 16) was a few houses away baby-sitting for a neighbor (The Engstroms) during the storm. June had already issued instructions to Dan on the phone, to "take the children to the southwest corner of the basement and wait out the storm."
---
(June - Stan's Home from SW, showing boarded over hole, South end Roof )
---
---
The first tornado to arrive in central Fridley was recorded on the stopped Fridley City Hall clock at 7:10 PM. June knew that the storm hit the home when the electric power transformers on the corner of the lot blew out in a flash of red. Simultaneously a puff of dirt and dust blew down the clothes chute. Amid the roaring of the storm, the house sounded like it was being battered to pieces.
In a few minutes the storm passed and a total silence followed. The silence was broken by a lady’s screams. It was never determined who the lady was or whether her scream was the result of injury or anguish on seeing the results of the storm on her home.
June and Stan's home had most of the windows blown out including the large picture window on the west side and the large windows in the family room.
A section of the top rear (south) of the roof was torn away exposing the attic area. The front lawn contained hundreds of sticks that were driven into the lawn at an angle from the southwest like an airplane straffing attack. Some object had plowed a furrow across the lawn leading up to the homes foundation where it had smashed the concrete blocks.
While the damage to June's home was severe, the home could be repaired and restored. A few months later such repairs were completed. Many other homes had damage so severe that they had to be demolished and an entirely new structure built on the old foundation. One area just a few blocks to the north of June and Stan's home in the Rice Creek neighborhood, had total destruction and devastation down to the foundations.
Before the 1st storm arrival, June prayed aloud for the safety of the family. God certainly answered her prayers and the family escaped unharmed. Unfortunately many others in the storm‘s path did not fare as well. The U. S. Weather Bureau records indicate that 13 people were killed and 683 people were injured.
Following the first tornado the family gathered in the back yard to discuss the situation with some of the neighbors. One neighbor’s garage was in June's and Stan's backyard. Suddenly someone shouted, “There is another one coming.” The family immediately returned to the basement. Northern Ordnance Plant recorded the arrival of the second tornado at 8:10 PM. This tornado did even greater damage to the home and resulted in the attached garage floor being detached from the main foundation and moved away from the house foundation approx. 1/2 foot leaving the door opening askew.
Note: There were rumors that three (3) separate tornado's had struck Fridley...this is clearly untrue...June and Stan's home was centrally located in Fridely. Following the 1st tornado there was a period of quiet and a lull in which the Berg's and their neighbors were outside discussing the damage when news of another (2nd) approaching tornado was received...all retreated again to their basements...the 2nd one appeared to be more severe and did greater damage to the Berg home...There was not a 3rd tornado...early the next morning there was a heavy thunderstorm and downpour of rain in which the Berg's attempted to use sheets to prevent the heavy rain from entering the home through the destroyed picture windows...this 3rd storm was simply a normal heavy thunderstorm and not a tornado by any means.
---
(Stan Cleaning up back yard , after Storm showing damaged neighbors)
---
---
The following morning a heavy rainstorm drenched Fridley. This event was very demoralizing to an already battered and unprotected community. June and the family struggled to hold a large sheet over the missing picture window to keep some of the torrents of rain out of the living room. With the large hole in the south portion of the roof, this rain also poured into the attic area of the home. To the family’s relief, State Farm Insurance Co. sent out a building contractor with temporary repair facilities at around noon on that Friday morning following the storm. June, Stan and the family were all very happy to see the State Farm truck pull up outside, loaded with plywood, tarpaper and other building supplies. June and the family while thankful for the quick assistance, felt a little awkward and almost embarrassed to get such immediate attention from their insurance company when others with as much damage or more severe damage did not get assistance from their companies for some time...perhaps days later.
State Farm was required to obtain special permission to come into the area as all of Fridley was blocked off and guarded by the Minnesota National Guard, quickly mobilized to protect the properties from looting. There was also danger from downed power lines and debris in the streets. One neighbor with very severe damage had not heard from their insurance company a month later. They were insured by an some obscure company with home offices in a western state. They probably had a great homeowners insurance rate but that company was not there for the family when most needed. The windows and the hole in the roof were quickly boarded over with large sheets of plywood and tarpaper. Power was not restored for a few days thereafter.
Because of the damage to the home and the lack of power, June sent the children to their Grandpa and Grandma Rolstad’s farm near Cameron, Wisconsin for a few days. During the confusion following the storm, otheir son Dan was never paid for his baby-sitting services. Dan has jokingly wondered what his services plus compounded interest would add up to at the present time.
Even during tragic times such as these, Fridley residents did not lose their sense of humor. A few doors away from the Berg home was a devastated home with a sign out side that read: "Wild Parties Every Thursday Night."
The Berg's oldest son David graduated from Fridley High School with the class of 1965 in the year of the tornado. Because of the damage to the Fridley High School, the graduation ceremonies were held in nearby Brooklyn Center. Dave began attendance at the University of Minnesota beginning the fall of 1965. Because of the needs and responsibilities of a young married man, Dave later dropped out of the University in his 4th year, a few credits short of graduation.
---
(Neighbors home across the street and SW west of June - Stan's home)
---
---
After the Washington Street home was repaired, it was decided to sell the home and build a new home on a small hill in the eastern part of Fridley just east of Moore Lake. The family was very nervous about tornadoes and had heard (correctly or incorrectly) that tornadoes did not go onto hills.
The new home at 6025 Gardena Lane, became June's final and most loved home. That home was completed in July of 1966.
June lived in the 6025 Gardena Lane home for almost 40 years before Alzheimer's took over her life and she moved to a nursing facility March 16th, 2005. June passed away from the complications of Alzheimer's on 23 October 2008.
The tornado damaged neighborhood was a hazard to car tires and continued to be such for several months after the tornadoes. June and her neighbors would continually be getting flat tires from the building nails scattered about by the storm that were once a part of the damaged buildings. Some may have been the result of the huge building efforts and the repair projects going on continually for months after the storms. A year later one could hardly see any evidence of what had once been an area of massive damage and destruction. The quick restoration of the community was almost miraculous when one compares it to the snails pace restoration that later took place and is still taking place in New Orleans.
Berg's son Dan later graduated in a new Fridley High School with the class of 1967 while living at the Gardena Lane home. Dan subsequently graduated from the University of Minnesota in June 1971 with a BS degree. Susan also graduated from the Fridley High School Class in 1971. Susan later (June 1973) graduated from Anoka Ramsey Junior College with an AA degree. Julie graduated from the Fridley High School Class of 1976.
---
(Photos a few blocks north of June - Stan''s home - Rice Creek area of Fridley)
---
---
---