The clean-up process continues in Cass County after recent storm damage that occurred last night in several townships.

Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch reported that the Cass County Sheriff’s Office had received a notice from the National Weather Service last night for a tornado warning for the West Central part of Cass County. Burch added that Cass County dispatchers had alerted the public with the activation of the tornado sirens and had conducted a NIXLE warning, advising Cass County of the threat.

After the storm had passed, both Local City Police and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office started to assess damages. Storm damages were noted for areas of Bryon, Poplar, Bungo, Pine River, Ponto Lake, Barclay, Wabedo, Inguadona, Remer, Kego, Crooked Lake, Turtle Lake, Thunder Lake, Trelipe, Slater and Torrey Townships.

Other surrounding cities that reported storm damages were Lake Shore, Remer, Backus and Pine River. Reports also stated that many area roads were blocked with downed trees and power lines.

According to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office, the most substantial damages occurred in Poplar and Byron Townships. Several structures were affected along with a grain silo and two center pivot irrigation systems.

The weather radar did indicate that a tornado was reported in the area. The National Weather Service is currently conducting an assessment to determine whether or not the damages in the area were from an actual tornado.

The release says that crews are continuing to clean up from the storm, and that at this time, early damage estimates to public infrastructure are approximately $120,000 but are quickly growing.

All roadways are cleared up and open as of 1:00 PM today, but Sheriff Tom Burch encourages everyone to take caution in these areas as both tree and power line work will be continuing.

Sheriff Burch also encourages the public to sign up for NIXLE if they’re not signed up already to ensure safety. Subscriptions to the Cass County NIXLE Alert System can be made by visiting the county’s website and clicking on the NIXLE alerts box, or by texting your Cass County zip code to 888777 to opt-in.

By — Emma Hudziak