Governor pledges state support for storm victims while touring eastern North Dakota damage

Yahoo

26-06-2025

Gov. Kelly Armstrong, left, talks to Tyler Pfaff while surveying what is left of his family's rural Enderlin home on June 25, 2025. (Photo provided by governor's office)
ENDERLIN – North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong praised the cleanup efforts of communities struck by last week's storms while promising the state would provide resources to help them rebuild.
He toured the communities of Enderlin, Page and Hunter on Wednesday, hearing about recovery efforts from community leaders, first responders and victims.
'There's a long road ahead,' Armstrong said. 'But a lot of work has already been done. I'm amazed at how quickly North Dakotans help their neighbors.
The North Dakota Community Foundation has set up a storm relief fund. Financial donations will be provided to impacted communities and homeowners to assist with disaster recovery and unmet needs.
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.
The storm also claimed four lives. The latest confirmed is a 76-year-old man in the Courtenay area who was found dead on Saturday, according to Stutsman County Emergency Manager Jessica Moser. The man used a breathing apparatus and his home was among those that lost power, Moser said. His name was not immediately released.
Three people died in the Enderlin tornado, Michael Dehn, 73, Katherine Pfaff-Dehn, 73, and Marcario Lucio, 89, according to the Cass County Sheriff's Office.
After seeing the damage, Armstrong said it was miraculous there weren't more deaths and injuries.
One home he toured belonged to Tyler and Brooke Pfaff of rural Enderlin. Originally built into a hillside, all that remained were some rock walls and shattered windows. The couple huddled in an interior bathroom when the tornado struck.
'It's a total loss, but thank God we're alive,' Tyler Pfaff said as he looked over what used to be his living room, now filled with debris and shredded insulation. 'I'm not sure where we go from here.'
Over the past few days, neighbors and other volunteers had cleaned up snapped trees on the property and recovered personal items.
'I'm overwhelmed,' Pfaff said. 'People were here right away.'
Armstrong said neighborly kindness is a tremendous resource in times of disaster. 'Nothing replaces our capacity to care for each other,' he said.
Enderlin Sheldon Fire Department Chief Jon Anderson said around 10 homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the storm's path.
Much of the damage caused by storms will be covered by private insurance, but it could take a while to assess the claims, Armstrong said. One way the state may help is by offering grants or loans so individuals and communities can begin to rebuild immediately instead of waiting, he said.
The Industrial Commission meets Thursday morning and resources for storm relief will be a dominant topic, Armstrong said. In addition, Armstrong said he will ask for federal assistance, though the timing for making that request is uncertain.
'Our job is to help these communities get back on their feet,' he said.
In Page, one home was destroyed, according to Mayor Jim Heidorn. Other homes sustained damage to roofs, windows and trees.
Outside of the city limits, many farms also lost grain storage.
Stephen and Scott Thompson, twin brothers who farm near Page, were cleaning the farm site with their families when Armstrong arrived to survey the damage. They lost grain bins that hold 450,000 bushels of corn. In addition, they couldn't access bins holding about 100,000 bushels of grain because of the damage.
Stephen Thompson and his family were home when a series of storms hit overnight Friday. The third wave of wind hit them hardest, Thompson said.
'We ran into our (walk-out) basement and saw a 40-foot tree fall on our patio,' he said. For 45 minutes, the house shook from the wind.
Scott Thompson said it would take at least five years to rebuild, but there was no question the family would. A 100-year-old barn sustained damage in the storms and was leaning.
'We've straightened that more than once,' said Stephen Thompson. 'And we'll straighten it again. We've already tried today.'
Luke Erickson is part owner of EEE, which designs and builds grain storage in the region. He accompanied Armstrong on part of the tour around Page. Many of the farms affected were his customers, friends or family.
'It's tough to fathom the damage,' he said. Grain bins could be replaced before harvest, but orders would need to be put in immediately, he said.
Jim Kaiser, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service of Grand Forks, said there were 13 confirmed tornadoes in North Dakota Friday and Saturday. Six of those are rated with the highest at an EF3; the others are still being investigated.
In addition to the tornadoes, the storms brought sustained winds and wind gusts of up to 100 mph, Kaiser said. 'That's why you see so much damage,' he said. 'That's why we call it a 'generational storm.''
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