On Monday afternoon, July 7, 2008, tornadoes tore through the commuities of Belcourt and Rolla in north central North Dakota. Officials are not yet sure if the same tornado hit both towns or if there were two tornadoes; however, the tornado that hit Belcourt is estimated as an EF 2 and the other that impacted Rolla was an EF3.Both of these communities have been severely impacted. Damage to homes is extensive. Many displaced families have found shelter with friends and family and others are currently staying in area motels, courtesy of the Red Cross.
Damage estimates are preliminary, but at least 28 homes and property have been damaged in Belcourt and around 18 homes in both communities have been destroyed.
The biggest need right now is finding housing for these families. Efforts are underway to locate temporary trailers through various federal agencies.
If you are interested in helping, please use the contact information below:
To help clean up: Call Rolla City Hall at (701) 477-3610 or Belcourt’s emergency management office at (701) 477-2674 or (701) 477-2693.
To donate money:
Call the Mid-Dakota Red Cross in Minot at 800-323-3179.
Call Minot Salvation Army at 701-838-0635.
Turtle Mountain Chippewa Disaster Fund
c/o Turtle Mountain State Bank
10 W Main St, PO Box 310
Belcourt, ND 58316
Rolla Tornado Disaster Fund
c/o Dacotah Bank
PO Box 789
Rolla, ND 58367
Tornado victims: Care for yourself
Those stricken by the tornado should keep a few things in mind, authorities said.
- Insurance coverage: Homeowners need to take steps to prevent further damage. They should document losses with photos and receipts.
- Report damage: In Belcourt, call the emergency management office at the numbers above. In Rolla, call the Rolette County assessor’s office at (701) 477-5666.
- Take care with cleanup: Be sure your last tetanus shot was no more than 10 years ago. Vaccination updates are available at the public health office.
- If food in the freezer doesn’t have ice crystals on it, it’s probably bad.
- When you throw it out, be sure it’s secure in garbage containers to avoid attracting rodents.
Source: Grand Forks Herald - http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=81467
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