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About Fallon County Times (Baker, Mont.) 1916-current | View This Issue
Fallon County Times (Baker, Mont.), 17 June 2016, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn84036037/2016-06-17/ed-1/seq-1/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
FALLO County fctimes@midrivers.com 406-778-3344 VOLUME 100 ISSUE 25 BAKER, MONTANA 59313 $1.00 FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2016 lent F-3 Tornado No fatalities reported as community comes together for, 14 ive cleanup and dig -out efforts - „ By Sherry Vogel June 11.2016 will go down in Fallon County history as the day a tornado struck Baker! Baker was hit by an F-3 tornado at about 6:50 p.m., injuring seven residents while demolishing at least two houses and damaging up to 50 more homes. The National Weather Service issued tornado alerts earlier in the day stating, \severe thunderstorms containing large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornados would be possible each afternoon and evening into mid week over portions of the central and northern high plains.\ A short time before the tornado touched down, the Baker Little League was playing softball on the softball field at the south end of the lake. Whereas at the neighboring country club, 50 golfers were un- winding after a day's long golf tournament. In addition, the local fairgrounds, which is also in close proximity to the tornado's 'ground zero', was hosting the Montana State High School Rodeo Finals. Approximately 900 people, from across the state, were seated under an °indoor covered grandstand en- joying the. evening perfonnauces only a few minutes before the tor- nado hit down. Tornado hits Baker neighborhood At approximately 6:37 p.m. an ominous dark cloud was sighted suddenly hovering over a five mile radius southeast of Baker. Acco to the National cc, the inter-perime- assive swirling cloud ockwise at 140- ed to funnel ey to anyone, this tornado made a destructive tail downward destroying an entire east side neighborhood in Baker. Seven Baker residents were in- jured, two homes were totally wiped out and many others sus- tained excessive damages accord- ing to responders on the scene. Thirty to fifty homes have been affected resulting in ten to twelve people being displaced. A few res- idents found refuge in local motels while the majority stayed with family or friends. First responders take action The city blocks located between South 5th Street East and South 10th Street East intersected by Texas Avenue were hit the hardest and sustained the most damage. The area of devastation resem- bled a 'war zone.' Piles of rubble stood in the place of two homes, while 12 to 15 others were miss- ing their roofs, windows or out- buildings. Personal property, household items and chunks of glass were strewn across the land- scape. Pieces of shredded insula- tion hanging from naked trusses danced eerily In the wind. Snarled rtainl.flapgirlitzUy_iii unison as they struggled to break free from shattered . windows. Many broken and leaning power poles left live wires coiled on the ground. Single tree trunks stood alone and barren, resembling matchsticks, as they had been stripped of all branches and leaves. Emergency response teams were working the scene as they system- atically moved from home to home searching for survivors. Neighbors and response teams re frantically trying to take a d count to discover any known Missing among the casualties. Paramedics, with the help of vol- unteers, were placing the wounded upon gurneys to be evacuated to Fallon Medical Complex. MDU personnel with Halls weather the storm the help of the Baker Fire were busy locating and shutti off gas lines, while others disabl downed electric wires. Law en forcement issued a call to all sur- rounding area first response emergency teams for mutual aid. Over 70 personnel came with 'boots on ground' from the sur- rounding tri-state area. The com- munities of Plevna, Ekalaka, and Wibaux, Montana, Marmarth, Rhame, Bowman, and Beach, North Dakota and Ludlow, South Dakota were in force. The aftermath Emergency crews secured off the area. They worked into the night making a second sweep through the ravaged neighbor- hood. They marked each dwelling with a yellow ribbon to signify an \all clear zone.\ The search yielded no fatalities and no addi- tional casualties. Soon after the first strike, local sirens began to sound a second alarm, forewarning the public of two more impending tornados. Many found shelter in basements, bathrooms or public fallout shel- ters. The city was on high alert far into the night. Although a third tornado did not come to fruition, it was a harried night for many. The majority of the city was with- out power until 2 a.m. The Fallon County Library basement was set up as the Fallon County Emer- gency Operative Center that fil- tered all incoming information. The response to this massive emergency was impressive, as the City, County, American Red Cross of Baker, volunteers from the pub- lic and private sector and neigh- bors jumped in to lend a helping hand. Many individuals came to- gether to meet the needs of the moment. The Plevna Fite Depart- ment and the Custer County Sher- iff's Depart stayed on an additional t to assist with contin nd to the Photo above by Lori Hall By Sherry Vogel Lori and Dave Hall gathered together at their front door around 6:50 p.m. the night of June I I. They were concerned about the unusual cloud movements in full view of their south facing door. Lou said, \The cloud was rotating, then all of a sudden it dropped out of the sky. I had my phone in hand,\ she continued, \so I was able to get three pictures.\ Her eyes widened, \Suddenly the neighbor's camper began to roll over and over. That's when we took our dogs and headed for the bathroom!\ Lori shared that she did not hear any loud noises as she had expected to. She said, \We knew we were in the tornado because you could just feel the pressure change.\ After a few minutes, they both ventured out and were shocked to see all the damage. An interesting observance Lori and Dave made after the storm was there were four bags of garbage that Dave had put out by the dumpster earlier that day. After the storm, they found all four bags of garbage sitting unopened and untouched, while the cot tie dumpster had blown ca i% Baker Tornado Relief If you wish to make a donation to the Tornado Relief, please make checks payable to: Baker Tornado Relief Fund and mail them to PO Box 53, Baker, MT 59313 or take them to the Bank of Baker. Donations to this fund are tax deductible as it is set up through a non-profit organization. Summit National Bank of Ekalaka is an alternative collection site for your convenience. Baker Tornado Relief is also on Facebook and you can go there to donate by paypal or to get more in- formation. Until Further Notice As of June 12.2016, Baker Lake is closed to swimming, fishing and boating due to debris and will remain closed until further notice. siWkes Baker Photo by Sherry Vogel Ominous cloud funnels out By Sherry Vogel At approximately 6:37 p.m. a tornado, in its infancy, is captured Inck lug over a packed Fallon County Fairgrounds grandstand June II. The dark, ominous cloud angrily festered and churned while laboring to funnel out. Some 900 spectators were moved to safety beneath the concrete grandstand only minutes before the F-3 tornado took shape, then suddenly veered off to strike an unaware RV park south of Baker. It then raged off at 150 MI'll to rip apart an unprepared eastside lake front neighborhood. Photo by Roger Meggers Aerial view of destroyed Wilcox RV home. First victim of tornado speaks out By Sherry Vogel Miraculously there were no deaths reported after an F-3 tornado struck Baker June II. and as details unfold, many amazing stories are surfacing from survivors who rode out \the eye of the storm\. About 6:50 p.m.. Jim Wilcox was just getting relaxed in front of his TV with his faithful dog Sheeba at his side when he noticed, \the windy af- ternoon suddenly got a lot windier and things started shaking ... then everything became eerily still\. The next thing he remembers he was waking up laying on a graveled parking lot 20 feet away from where his RV had stood in the John Michael Bertsch RV Park. approximately three miles south of Baker. \My first concern was my dog. I began to call out her name, and I was so glad when she came running up from out of a field,\ Wilcox said. \I looked down at my bare legs, which were covered in blood, and I knew I needed to get to the hospital. When I looked toward my pickup, I realized my home had been tossed up in the air and had landed on top of it. Fortunately, an- other vehicle was available so I headed down the road toward Baker. As I approached town, a sheriff's ve- hicle was blocking the road so I got out and started walking toward him. He found me and drove me to the hospital.\ Jim, a 59 year old supervisor for Of- tedal Construction, Inc. who is work- ing south of Baker on the Highway 7 construction project, remembers being marked on his arm with a #1 as he entered the hospital. The storm lifted his Montana Big Sky 5th wheel RV home with four slides off the ground, dropping it about 50 feet away on top of his com- pany truck, crushing it. It is a true mimiracle that 11111S(11‘1%Cd at all. One has to marvel that he !lad no broken bones. Ile was bruised. sore and sustained cuts and lacer.' tions, but is alive and able to relate a tale that few live to tell. Meanwhile, Gerald Demonfignv. employee of Oftedal Cons!! action. and his wife Dorothy. who %%ere also camped at a nearby location at the same park, were ASO settling lit lot the night. Dorothy sinntk her head as she relived the horrilying night of June II. She cupped her head in her hands as she told of barely escaping with their lives when the wing tor- nado ripped apart their 5th wheel RV home as they huddled doss II III 1.1.'. Gerald was watching TV as he re- laxed in the living room. Dorothy was walking through the kitchen is hen all of a sudden their RV began to shake violently. Dorothy yelled at t clad; to come up in the bedroom as she gath- ered their pet dogs into the room. Gerald stood up only to be knocked to the floor. A terrible loud noise pierced the air as Gerald looked up to see half of the RV roof being torn from the structure.The entire home was thrown back four feet and shifted just as far to the side. Personal items. food and furniture flew Onough the air. They along with their lii e !Its- chion Prism dogs were stunned, hut nonetheless for wear. 'they gathered themselves up and found the opening where the door had been located to stumble out into the evening. \The first thought on my mind.\ said Dorothy, \was whether our em- ployer and friend Jim had made it. We were blessed to later discover he and his dog both had survived.\ Dorothy trembled as she came to the realiza- tion,\li lasted only a few seconds yet did so much damage. We are all so blessed to he alive.\ Russell's Clothing Bilker, Montana 406-778-2427 FathertVay 6- 100 6 Anniversary Sale Now thru June /8th! COFFEE & COOKIES • DOOR PRIZES Ii!fottli `i's, ar g &L MaryaaâLti 444Ni:tali lithwli will be ai itore,S4.44.1ane 18\ laud via Visit Our Website at www.FallonCountyExtra.com
