South Minneapolis hard hit from battery of storms over the weekend

Residents in one Nokomis neighborhood looked to be enjoying a summer day like any other. On backyard patios they were grilling out, chatting across fences, sharing cheerful exchanges. But out of power for the fourth day, they were making do: grilling anything from defrosted meats to limp frozen pizzas that didn't make the journey to another ice box, and taking advantage of a cool breeze and the the light of day. While neighbors -- some across the street -- moved indoors at dusk to lights glowing and televisions flickering, those still without power lifted lanterns and flashlights and limped indoors to quiet, stagnant darkness. On Saturday, the Nokomis Library was abuzz with people looking for a place to power up or just to read in air conditioned relief. Areas throughout Minneapolis were ravaged by high winds the evening of June 21st, ripping branches tearing down power lines, and yanking trees up out of the ground. Sidewalks, rooftops and cars were crushed. Xcel Energy reported half a million customers impacted by power outages, many in the storms that ripped through earlier that morning. On June 23rd their recorded message said it could be several more days before all service was restored. (Photos by Jill Boogren)