Tornado damages Minnesota Power solar array at Camp Ripley Little Falls
Sept 2016Published 28 Sept 2026
- Where
- Camp Ripley near Little Falls, Minnesota
- Operator
- Minnesota Power
- What
- EF-1 tornado debris damaged solar array
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Debris from barracks and storage container
What happened
A weak EF-1 tornado, with maximum winds of 90 mph, struck the Minnesota Power solar array at Camp Ripley near Little Falls, Minnesota on the evening of 7 September 2016. The storm blew the roof off a barracks building and part of the roof of a billeting area. Debris from the buildings, including a large storage container, struck the nearly complete 10 MW solar array and damaged racks, panels and wiring.
About a quarter of the 97 rows of panels was affected. The dedication planned for 16 September was postponed until the following spring. No injuries were reported. Damage assessment was still under way and no cost figure was available at the time of reporting.
Contributing factors
High winds from an EF-1 tornado blew a storage container and other debris into the array. The array had been designed to American Society of Civil Engineers structural codes for 105 mph winds, so the reported damage was from debris impact rather than wind above that design figure.
Lessons learned
- Secure loose objects and temporary structures before forecast high-wind events near solar arrays.
- Include debris impact in site emergency plans even when forecast wind speeds remain within design limits.
- Treat nearby buildings and storage containers as wind-borne debris hazards during array construction.
Not yet known
- Cost of the damage
- Downtime before the array returned to service
- Exact model and age of damaged panels and racks
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Source
Other entries that name Camp
Other entries that name Falls
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.