PassportJun 23, 2025 | By: Lakeland News
Bemidji Storm Recovery Updates – 6/23/25
Storm damage at Bemidji State University. (Source: Lakeland News)
Beltrami County Emergency Management has posted more updates concerning the severe storm on June 21st and updates on restoring power, as well as recovery and relief efforts.
A press release from Emergency Management Director Chris Muller says the National Weather Service has not identified any specific tornado tracks from the storm, but that destructive straight-line winds were exceptional and a 10-mile wide swath of damage was observed across southern Beltrami County. Top wind speeds were estimated at 90-120 miles per hour, equivalent to those in a Category 3 hurricane. The most intense damage was east of the south end of Lake Bemidji.
Otter Tail Power and Beltrami Electric Cooperative are still working to restore power to all affected customers. An update from Otter Tail at 10:00 a.m. Monday says crews anticipate restoring power to the rest of Bemidji by that afternoon and evening, allowing for “nested” outages due to damage at specific homes or service lines. Power is expected to be restored as follows:
- Downtown: 6/23 at 10:00 p.m.
- Bemidji Avenue North: 6/23 at 10:00 p.m.
- East Bemidji/Bemidji State University: 6/23 at 10:00 p.m.
- Lavinia: 6/23 at 3:00 p.m.
- Nymore: 6/23 at 7:00 p.m.
- South Lake Irving: 6/23 at 7:00 p.m.
The Bemidji Post Office is closed with no retail services at this time (due to loss of internet), and both rural and city delivery will be limited due to debris and removal efforts. The post office is reportedly working on a process for parcel pick-up.
The Assistance Center has closed the overnight shelter at Bemidji’s Sanford Center, as clients have been able to return to their pre-disaster accommodations or alternative arrangements have been made. But the Assistance Center will remain open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Wednesday, and meals, along with essential supplies such as snacks and water, are still available.
Beltrami County says efforts are underway to mitigate the congestion at the Transfer Station and Demolition Landfill, as there is an unprecedented amount of debris to discard. In addition, it says private property owners are responsible for the removal of their own debris, and no pick-up will be conducted by the county.
