News Releases for July 2008
July 8, 2008
For further information, please Contact the Governor's Office
Hoeven Sends State Resources To Rolette County In Aftermath Of Tornado
Governor to Meet with Local, Tribal Officials Tuesday Morning
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven this afternoon contacted Rolette County, City of Rolla and Turtle Mountain Tribal officials, and sent state resources in the aftermath of one or more tornadoes that touched down in the area late Monday afternoon. Hoeven spoke with Rolla City Council President Ryan Mitchell, acting emergency manager and County Commissioner Eldon Moors, Rolla Police Chief Tom Allard, and Turtle Mountain Tribal Band of Chippewa Chairman David “Doc” Brien.
Currently, four Highway Patrol officers are on scene to assist local officials in securing the impacted areas and to help provide traffic control. N.D. Department of Transportation crews are assisting with clean up activities.
The Governor will be in Rolla at 8 a.m. to view the impacted area and meet with local officials. He will be available with local officials for a news conference in the Commissioners Room at the Rolette County Courthouse at 9 a.m. Hoeven will also be in Belcourt and meet with Tribal Chairman Doc Brien at 10:30 a.m. at the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters.
“We extend our sympathy to those who were injured and to the families whose homes were destroyed or damaged,” Hoeven said. “I’ve asked the Department of Emergency Services to respond with any state resources the communities feel are necessary to help in the aftermath of this destructive storm.”
Preliminary reports are that an individual in Belcourt was trapped in his home and was evacuated by air to a Minot hospital. Also, a firefighter in Rolla sustained minor injuries when his vehicle was struck by a tornado. No other injuries have been reported at this time.
In Rolla, the tornado affected a roughly three-block area. Rolette County acting emergency manager Eldon Moors reported that four homes were destroyed and eight were damaged. Otter Tail Power Cooperative has turned off power to the impacted area of the city to ensure safety. Reports from Belcourt indicate at least one home heavily damaged with lesser damage to several others. The extent of the damage is still being assessed.
An Emergency Operation Center has been established at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Rolla, where Red Cross staff is on hand to provide meals and motel vouchers to individuals needing food and shelter. The DES has called in the Red Cross and Volunteer Organizations Assisting Disasters (VOAD) to provide food, water and shelter as needed to residents affected by the tornadoes.
E-mail comments to the Governor
