(Photo courtesy GLE)

MINA, S.D. (KWAT) — The CEO of Glacial Lakes Energy says one of their ethanol plants was, “in the direct line of fire” from tornadic storms that rolled through northeast South Dakota on Independence Day.

Jim Seurer says the storm hit the GLE ethanol plant in Mina around 7 o’clock Saturday night.

Seurer says the plant was operational when the storm hit, with a small number of workers there.

He says they have insurance which will cover some of the damage.

The National Weather Service has already confirmed one tornado in the area of the Mina plant. That was an EF-2 twister with winds estimated up to 135 miles an hour.