70 mph wind whips Rochester, lightning sets house ablaze - KXLT - Fox 47 Rochester MN News, Weather and Sports

ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 47) -- Emergency crews are busy responding to storm-related emergencies all around the city of Rochester.

Trees are reported down on homes and on roads. Several roads were closed this morning due to debris, including 11th Street Southwest and 9th Avenue Southwest. As of 4 a.m., crews hadn't even begun the cleanup there because they were working to clear main roads and hospital routes first.

Lightning set one house on fire in southeast Rochester. Stephen Siewert was asleep in his home on the 400 block of 10th Street Southeast when he heard a bang and got out. The fire was brought under control within fifteen minutes, but the entire roof of the home is destroyed. Damage is estimated to be more than forty thousand dollars. 

Power has been restored to most of the city. RPU reports that at the peak, at about 2:30 a.m., 4,800 customers were without power.  By 7 a.m., only isolated power outages remained. Outages were also reported in Byron, Kasson, Wabasha and Kellogg.