Meteorology News

The home in Rogers, Minnesota where Jaymi Wendt, 10, was killed the evening of September 16, 2006 when a tornado struck the neighborhood. Credit: Startribune.com

The family of a girl who was killed the evening a tornado struck Rogers, Minnesota (Family of Minnesota Tornado Victim Suing Homebuilder), has now settled their lawsuit against the homebuilder out-of-court.  10-year-old Jaymi Wendt was killed on Sept. 16, 2006 in a neighbor’s home that collapsed during the storm. Her family blamed the death on improper construction of the home – particularly, improper installation of anchor bolts designed to keep the home attached to the foundation.  The office of Judge Deborah Hedlund confirmed that the suit was settled out of court on terms that would not be publicly disclosed.

Tim Marshall, a storm damage expert who was retained by the plaintiffs stated that this house was “the only one in the neighborhood that was pushed off its foundation and collapsed.”

Marshall also stated that “close examination revealed anchor bolts were not embedded deep enough into the concrete masonry foundation, so they were standing too tall to properly secure the nuts and washers. Other anchor bolts were missing nuts and washers needed to secure the sill plates.”

The damage, according to Marshall, was consistent with the improper installation of the sill bolts.  “The house was pushed to the north and collapsed on its walk out basement. The second story remained with vinyl siding, soffits, and roof shingles still intact. The garage doors were pushed inward and were lying on top of the vehicles that had been parked in the garage. The air conditioner and wood porch deck remained nearby. The roof of the garage flew off to the northeast and came to rest upright with shingles and roof vents still attached.”