When they heard what sounded like a train in the sky, saw trees bend a little too far and power lines spark, they knew it was time to head for their basement.

"It was unbelievable," said Deb Martz in a telephone interview Monday. "When we went downstairs I had a feeling our house was gone. I knew it was going to get our house."

The severe thunderstorm, the first of the 2004 season, swept across northern Crow Wing County Sunday morning, uprooting trees, damaging buildings and knocking out power to thousands of people.

Fortunately for the Martzes, the storm didn't take their home. With the exception of an aerial antenna that crashed through an upstairs window, their house was untouched. Several large pine trees, however, fell and landed within 10 feet of their house.

Martz said her neighbor saw a tornado, but the National Weather Service in Duluth couldn't confirm that. Carol Christenson, warning coordinator meteorologist with the NWS in Duluth, said the storm didn't show any rotation and wasn't identified as a tornado by their spotters in northern Crow Wing County. Christenson said whatever weather event happened, it resulted in a microburst, with possible winds speeds at 60 mph.

Those high winds knocked power out to an estimated 6,000-8,000 people in the Crosslake, Emily and Outing areas. Crews from Crow Wing Power and other power companies were fixing the lines throughout Sunday and into Monday. Extensive damage in the Crosslake and Ideal Township areas slowed repair work. As of 8:30 a.m. Monday about 300 people were without power. Crow Wing Power crews expected to have power completely restored by 6 p.m. Monday.

Fortunately, Crow Wing County missed a second round of severe thunderstorms Sunday. Christenson said a line of thunderstorms moved through Pine, Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties, bringing strong winds, rain and hail. Hardest hit from the second round of storms was western Wisconsin.

Tuesday is expected to remain sunny and cool, Christenson said. Rain is forecasted for Tuesday night and Wednesday.

MATT ERICKSON can be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.