Power Outage Hit East Half of Rochester – I-90 Closed in Austin

Rochester, MN (KR0C-AM News) - Thousands of Rochester Public Utilities customers have been affected by power outages this afternoon.

A spokesman says the cause is not yet known, but it's very likely the strong storms that moved through the city in the mid-afternoon were to blame.  Shortly before 4 PM, most of northeast Rochester and a large area of southeast Rochester were without power.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has barricaded a section of I-90 in Austin. Officials say the heavy rain has covered a portion of the freeway with water.