042: Survivors Talk on 50th Anniversary of Deadly Outing Tornado

Around 5 p.m. on Aug. 6, 1969, a tornado that had intensified to a powerful category F4 with winds of more than 200 mph, barreled toward the northern Minnesota community of Outing.

It was one of a series of tornadoes that cut across northern Minnesota and killed a total of 15 people, including 11 in the Outing area. Most of the Outing deaths were visitors staying at cabins located along the east shore of Roosevelt Lake and owned by Bethany Fellowship of Bloomington.

One of the survivors from those cabins was Sue Moline, who was 17 years old at the time. Seven of her family members and friends died in the storm, and for decades Sue's family didn't talk about the tornado that changed their lives. But in the past year, Sue has led efforts to gather more information from survivors, rescue workers and the weather service to find out details of what happened that summer day.

Sue and her aunt, Priscilla Dugan, recently met with veteran scuba diver Bill Matthies of Brainerd, who recovered the bodies of two of the Outing storm victims who were tossed into Lake Roosevelt.

Listen to there story of that tragic day, which took place exactly 50 years ago this week. The Outing tornado still ranks as one of the top five most deadly tornadoes in Minnesota history. 

Host/Producer: Chelsey Perkins

Reporter/Guest: Pete Mohs

Featuring: Bill Matthies, Sue Moline and Priscilla Dugan