Crews are out Monday repairing natural gas leaks, clearing debris, fixing downed power lines and assessing building damage, officials said during an early morning news briefing on the edge of the area.

As of Monday morning, about 10,000 customers were without electricity, down from Sunday's peak of 22,000.

One of at least three tornado touchdowns that hit the Twin Cities on Sunday pummeled north Minneapolis, causing widespread damage. One person was killed, and two others are in critical condition. The injury total stands at 29.

At least 200 people whose homes were uninhabitable stayed at the Armory in northeast Minneapolis.

"This is a huge blow to the people of north Minneapolis, a place where people have real needs," said Mayor R.T. Rybak, referring to a part of the city that has more social and economic challenges than most.

Six public schools on the North Side are closed because roads are too littered with debris to allow buses to pass safely. They are: Lucy Laney, City View, Nellie Stone Johnson, Hmong International Academy, Northstar and Plymouth Youth Center.

Two high schools, North and Patrick Henry, are open to people who need food and water.

Officials are hoping to reopen some blocks within the exclusion zone as early as 10 a.m. Monday. The zone is bordered by Plymouth Avenue on the south, Dowling Avenue on the north, I-94 on the east and Penn Avenue on the west.

Once a block is deemed safe, entry for residents must occur at specific locations. A majority of them are along Lyndale and Penn Avenues.

Although rumors of looting were largely unfounded, the 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew that was first instituted Sunday night will remain for the next "couple of days," Rybak said. The curfew is not only to deter potential crime but to keep people safe.

Also, several entrance ramps are closed from Interstate 94 on the eastern edge of the affected area: Broadway/Washington Avenue, Dowling Avenue and 49th Avenue/53rd Avenue. On-ramps are unaffected.

Sunday's tornado was the first to strike within the city of Minneapolis since a minor twister in south Minneapolis on Aug. 19, 2009. Sunday's damage appeared consistent with tornadoes rated EF2, which carry winds of 111 to 135 miles per hour. Only 10.7 percent of U.S. tornadoes are rated EF2, and only about 4 percent are stronger. On Monday, damage assessment teams from the National Weather Service will visit dozens of damage scenes and make a final pronouncement on the length, strength and number of tornadoes.

Significant storm damage also was reported in St. Louis Park to the west of Minneapolis and in Fridley to the north and east. The impact in those two suburbs, however, was far less than what the North Side is enduring.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482