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ENDERLIN, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong today praised local leaders, first responders and community volunteers for their impressive response and recovery efforts as he surveyed damage from tornadoes and strong winds that pummeled a large swath of North Dakota last weekend.
“The way North Dakotans have responded to this disaster has been spectacular and is a testament to the exceptional leaders and volunteers in our close-knit communities and the power of collaboration at the local, state and federal levels,” Armstrong said after surveying damage in the Enderlin, Page and Hunter areas. “This storm was unlike anything we’ve seen before, producing more than a dozen tornadoes in an area that stretched across over half our state and inflicting damage that will take weeks to tally. Today we saw heartbreaking destruction and upended lives, but also inspiring examples of volunteers dropping everything to help their neighbors in need, and we thank them all for their hard work, kindness and generosity.”
“Local volunteers and utility crews have made incredible progress cleaning up and restoring power, with less than 300 people remaining without power this morning, down from 37,000 on Saturday,” Armstrong added. “With the information gathered today, we’ll be exploring every option – including requesting a presidential disaster declaration – to assist local recovery efforts, help communities repair infrastructure and restore quality of life for our citizens.”
Armstrong declared a statewide disaster Saturday and activated the State Emergency Operations Plan after multiple tornadoes, strong winds and hail caused widespread damage across the state Friday, resulting in four storm-related fatalities.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has preliminarily confirmed 13 tornadoes in North Dakota from the storm that swept across the state Friday and early Saturday before moving into Minnesota, where it continued to cause significant damage.
In the areas surveyed today, Armstrong saw numerous grain bins crumpled like paper cups, representing millions of bushels of lost grain storage with harvest just two to three months away. Armstrong said he has spoken with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins about the impact on farmers, and the state will be looking at every tool available to help the ag sector.
Joining Armstrong today were Brig. Gen. Mitch Johnson, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard and director of the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (DES), and state Homeland Security Division Director Darin Hanson. The DES continues to work with impacted communities and infrastructure providers on damage assessments. Armstrong encouraged local officials to carefully document damage and reach out to DES with questions and resource needs.