Thousands without power in Minnesota after storms

Published 10:24 am Friday, June 21, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — Xcel Energy says more than 130,000 customers are without power in Minnesota following severe thunderstorms.

The company reports more than 1,800 outages affecting about 131,000 customers Friday about 9:30 a.m.

The St. Cloud Times says about 20,000 local residents are without power. Xcel spokeswoman Mary Sandok says crews are working to restore power but it could take a few days because of the extent of the outages.

The National Weather Service says some parts of Minnesota got 4 to 5 inches of rain in just a couple of hours. More storms are expected Friday night.