Building Back From the Bemidji Blowdown

A year ago, Bemidji lost millions of trees to a derecho. It’s now at high risk for wildfires.

The cascading disaster fuels concerns as the community recovers, and replanting and rebuilding form a long, complicated road.

Building back from the Bemidji blowdown

BEMIDJI, Minn. — In Bemidji, a derecho produced winds of more than 120 miles per hour. It's estimated that 9 million trees were uprooted in the area. The financial toll in Beltrami County was more than $8 million. Just after midnight on June 21, the destructive derecho set its sights on Bemidji. Sirens wailed, warning of the impending danger. Straight-line winds upward of 90 to 120 miles per hour soon swept through. "You could even hear trees f…

Mulch created from trees downed in Bemidji storm aids in reforestation efforts

BEMIDJI — Some good has come from the devastating June 2025 windstorm. Robert Saxton, a longtime Bemidji resident originally from Minneapolis, is in his sixth year of working to transform his property near Puposky to resemble northern Minnesota's roots: a dense, biodiverse forest. Now, he is using mulch created in the aftermath of last summer's storm to sustain his sprouting forest. Saxton was bestowed the opportunity to transform his property, …