Several people injured, homes damaged after tornado strikes Detroit Lakes area

Several people were injured after an EF-2 tornado ripped through the Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, area Monday evening, authorities say.

Two people who were injured were taken to the hospital but are expected to survive. Another person went to the hospital in a private vehicle, authorities said.

The National Weather Service says the tornado's peak wind reached 115 mph and had a length of nearly seven miles. It touched down at 7:47 p.m., about a mile northwest of Wheeler Lake, and lifted 10 minutes later, about three miles east of Floyd Lake, according to a preliminary survey.

The storm damaged homes and properties in the area, the sheriff's office says. Several trees were destroyed and power lines also came down. 

Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander said emergency crews have helped 31 people so far. 

"This community, they step up, they stick together. We help each other," he said.

Authorities are asking the public to avoid the area while first responders and utility crews assess damage and restore services. Law enforcement will be controlling access to and from the impacted areas to help keep property owners and emergency crews safe, county officials say.

Glander said he expects the damage to take days, if not weeks to clean up.

An emergency shelter has been set up at M State College on Highway 34 for residents who were displaced because of the storm, officials say.