BISMARCK, N.D. (JULY 15, 2019) – Gov. Doug Burgum will tour the city of Mott on Tuesday, July 16, to survey tornado damage, observe recovery efforts and visit with local leaders and residents affected by Friday night’s twister.
At around 9:24 p.m. Friday, an EF-1 tornado with wind speeds of up to 105 mph damaged homes, caved in garages, flipped over campers and leveled a building at the Hettinger County Fairgrounds. Authorities also reported downed power lines and branches, uprooted trees, roofs blown off storage units, tipped over grain bins and damaged crops.
About 50 people took shelter at the county courthouse, and there were no injuries or deaths. The fairgrounds, which were hosting the Hettinger County Fair, had been evacuated prior to the tornado, and the remainder of the fair was canceled after the storm. Volunteers from surrounding communities assisted with cleanup over the weekend, and recovery efforts continued Monday.
What: Tour of tornado-affected areas of Mott
Who: Gov. Burgum, North Dakota Homeland Security Director Cody Schulz, Mott Mayor Troy Mosbrucker, Hettinger County Emergency Manager Tracy Kruger, Hettinger County Sheriff Sarah Warner, District 31 legislators.
When: 12:30 p.m. MT (1:30 p.m. CT) Tuesday, July 16
Where: Meet at Hettinger County Courthouse, 336 Pacific Ave., Mott. Mosbrucker will lead a tour of the affected areas.
Later in the day, the governor will tour the Hettinger Research Extension Center at 3:15 p.m. MT at 102 Hwy 12 W., Hettinger, and attend the Bakken Rocks CookFest at 6 p.m. MT at the intersection of First Street Northwest and Main Street in Bowman.