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CITY OF ELK RIVER <br />FULL-SCAI,E EXERCISE <br /> <br />SCENARIO NARRATIVE <br /> <br />TYPE: Tornado Touchdown and Hazardous Material Spill <br />LOCATION: Sherburne County Fairgrounds, City of Elk River <br />DATE: April 22, 1998 <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br /> <br />At approximately 6:00 a.m. the National Weather Service has issued a <br />Tornado Watch and a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for numerous counties in <br />the State of Minnesota. Sherburne County has been included in the Severe <br />Thunderstorm Watch and Tornado Watch. At 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday April <br />22, 1998, the National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm <br />Warning for all of Sherburne County including the City of Elk River. At 8:55 <br />a.m. the National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for the <br />City of Elk River, with a tornado sighted 2 miles west of Elk River along <br />Highway 10 and proceeding in an east to southeast direction. At 8:50 a.m. <br />the Emergency Outdoor Warning Sirens were activated for areas in Big Lake <br />Township and all of the City of Elk River. The date is Wednesday April 22, <br />1998, time 9:00 a.m.. The temperature is 92 degrees, humidity 60%, and <br />winds are 10-25 mph. There have been numerous severe thunderstorms <br />reported in the area and the National Weather Service has issued a Tornado <br />Warning for the Elk River area. <br /> <br />The Sherburne County Flea Market is in progress at the Sherburne County <br />Fairgrounds. It opened at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday April 22 and attendance <br />at the flea market at this time is unknown. All booths and tables have been <br />set up and were started for the day at approximately 8:00 a.m.. The <br />Sherburne County Sheriffs Department has enacted their Emergency <br />Operations Plan for the fairgrounds and evacuation was enacted with the <br />report of severe thunderstorms and the Tornado Warning. The tornado <br />proceeded through the Sherburne County Fairgrounds and shortly dissipated <br />over the Mississippi River. It touched down with damage and injuries at the <br />fairgrounds and in residential areas to the south and east of the fairgrounds. <br /> <br />Additional Sherburne County Deputies, Elk River Police, and Elk River Fire <br />Department Personnel have been called to the scene of the Sherburne County <br />Fairgrounds. There are still thunderstorms in the area and no power in the <br />area of the Sherburne County Fairgrounds. At approximately 9:30 a.m. it <br /> <br /> <br />