NDResponse

Are you Ready?
To prepare yourself and your family for a disaster, you should:
1) Know Your Risks;
2) Make a Plan; and
3) Take Action

Put your plan into action. Be ready and able to face disasters, no matter where you are and when they occur. It is important to get the insurance you need and understand your coverage options. Moreover, you should make a list of your personal property and its condition and protect your property by considering how to minimize damage. Practice your disaster plans, take advantage of existing alert and warning systems, and explore ways to serve your community.

Red flag warnings have been posted for counties across the state. Exercise extreme caution and learn before you burn
ndresponse.gov/burn

Heat advisory in effect for eastern ND with chances of 105 degree temperatures or higher. With the high temps, chances of severe thunderstorms are 2 out of 5 for Sunday afternoon into evening, and a 3 out of 5 for severe thunderstorms Monday.

As always, watch the weather as you plan your day's activities. Those considered vulnerable, including young children, elderly, outside workers, and those without AC should limit time outside, seek AC, and stay hydrated.

Never leave pets or children in the car.

Flood water is dangerous. It can be contaminated with oil, gasoline, or sewage. Flood water can also be difficult to determine depth and conceal dangerous hidden debris.
Stay out of flood water if you can.

Sandbag filling site open in Bismarck

A sandbag filling site is opening at the Bismarck Public Works facility, beginning at 11 AM today (August 14). The site will be located inside the large sand tent on the east side of the Public Works facility. For more information, visit https://bismarcknd.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=8448.

Resources for those experiencing damage from the recent flash flooding

Storm Preparedness & Recovery | North Dakota Insurance Department The Storm Preparedness & Recovery page.

A flood watch is in effect for south central and southeast ND through this evening as slow-moving thunderstorms could bring heavy rain, leading to flash flooding.
Turn Around Don't Drown®
👉 6" of moving water can knock an adult off of your feet
👉 12" of moving water can carry away cars and small SUVs
👉 18" of moving water can carry away trucks and large vehicles

----

WHERE...Portions of south central and southeast North Dakota including Burleigh, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, Wells, Foster, and Stutsman Counties.

----

Photo of flash flooding that occurred downtown Bismarck, 8/13

Leita has been found! She is safe.
Congratulations to the Cass County Sheriff's Office - Fargo, ND on the successful investigation and mission to bring Leita home.
Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and shares to help locate a vulnerable member of our community.

*Update* - Cass County Sheriff's Office Provides Update on Missing Person Case

CASS COUNTY, N.D. (July 11th, 2024) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office wishes to advise the public that 48-year-old Leita Golden has been safely located. Golden was located with her family in northern Arkansas.

Sheriff Jesse Jahner appreciates the cooperation and assistance from the public, and the partnering agencies. Sheriff Jahner advised, “This was a great team effort amongst partnering agencies and our office, and I appreciate the number of hours all authorities put forth to help locate Leita.”

Update - Cass County Sheriff’s Office Issues Silver Alert

CASS COUNTY, N.D. (July 8th, 2024) - The Cass County Sheriff’s Office continues the search for Leita Golden. The Silver Alert for Golden has been canceled by the State of North Dakota, but Golden continues to be listed as a missing person. Golden’s whereabouts are still unknown, and the Sheriff’s Office is working with state and federal partners to locate Golden. At this time, the Sheriff’s Office has no further comment.

If anyone has information regarding Golden’s whereabouts, we encourage you to contact the Red River Regional Dispatch Center at (701) 451-7660 and request to speak with a Cass County Deputy.

UPDATE - LEITA HAS BEEN SAFELY LOCATED!
Leita was found with family members in northern Arkansas.

Sheriff Jesse Jahner of Cass County appreciates the cooperation and assistance from the public and the partnering agencies. Sheriff Jahner advised, “This was a great team effort amongst partnering agencies and our office, and I appreciate the number of hours all authorities put forth to help locate Leita.”

Congratulations to all for this team effort, we are grateful for the safe conclusion.

--------------

We would like to warmly thank you all for your help in searching for Leita Golden, a vulnerable adult. The recent Silver Alert was shared over 800 times across the state and region. Insight from the public has led to many safe returns across North Dakota.

Unfortunately, at this time, Leita is still missing. And while the public alert has expired after 48 hours, the mission continues to bring her safely home.

The ongoing investigation is led by Cass County Sheriff’s Office. If you have any information, please contact the Cass County Sheriff's Department at 701-451-7660.

UPDATE - LEITA HAS BEEN SAFELY LOCATED!
Leita was found with family members in northern Arkansas.

Sheriff Jesse Jahner of Cass County appreciates the cooperation and assistance from the public and the partnering agencies. Sheriff Jahner advised, “This was a great team effort amongst partnering agencies and our office, and I appreciate the number of hours all authorities put forth to help locate Leita.”

Congratulations to all for this team effort, we are grateful for the safe conclusion.

--------------

UPDATE: The Silver Alert for Leita Golden has expired. She is still missing. If you have any information on her whereabouts, contact the Cass County Sheriff's Department at 701-451-7660

*****************************************************************

-- SILVER ALERT --
A Silver Alert is being issued by North Dakota Highway Patrol and ND Bureau Criminal Investigation at the request of the Cass County Sherriff's Department.

Leita Golden of Arthur, North Dakota is a 48 year old white female vulnerable adult. She is 5 feet 0 inches tall, weighs 105 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.

Her last known whereabouts were on 7/5/2024 at 12:45 pm in Arthur.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Leita was last seen wearing a blue jacket, a grey t-shirt, black sweatpants, and white tennis shoes with black tongues.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Cass County Sherriff's Department at 701-451-7660.

The above Silver Alert information is available to the public by calling 5 1 1 and at www.ndresponse.gov/alert

*Temporary Flight Restriction In Effect*

As of 4:00PM, a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect over the train derailment SE of Carrington, ND. A Temporary Flight Restriction, or TFR, designates an area restricted to air travel due to a hazardous condition, a special event, or a general warning for the entire FAA airspace.

The TFR is in effect for 48 hours, or until 4:00PM July 7, 2024. The area covered by this TFR is a radius of 1 nautical mile centered at the site of the derailment, 47°23'10.63"N 98°57'20.76"W. The TFR extends in altitude to 1,000 feet above the ground.

The operation of all aircraft, including drones, in this area is restricted to emergency services approved aircraft only.

A train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire early this morning near Carrington, no injuries reported.
We are grateful, as always, for the crews who began responding immediately along with a regional HazMat team.

CPKC train carrying hazardous materials derails, catches fire in North Dakota - Trains CARRINGTON, N.D. — Multiple cars of a CPKC train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire early today (July 5) in east-central North Dakota. Information remains limited as first responders and the railroad continue to deal with the situation. CPKC said in a statement to Trains News Wi...

Here's to coming out of the fourth with the same number of fingers and toes as you have going in! Be sure to respect your local ordinances and the manufacturer's instructions. Here are a couple of tips for fireworks safety from our friends at Homeland Security, link in the comments:

🎆 Designate a safety perimeter. If you have ground-based fireworks like a fountain, spectating from at least 35 feet away is best. For aerial fireworks, you’ll want everyone to move back to a distance of around 150 feet.
🎆 Ditch faulty fireworks. Sometimes fireworks don’t go off, but duds always pose a risk. The important thing to know is that you should never try to relight or approach a failed firework. Let duds sit for 5 -10 minutes before you put them in a bucket of water. This can prevent injury from a delayed explosion and disarm the firework permanently so you can safely dispose of it.

CANCELLATION - The Silver Alert issued by NDHP and NDBCI on 6/30/2024 has been cancelled. Alpha "Al" Ault has been safely located by law enforcement officials.

UPDATED WITH CANCELLATION - The Silver Alert issued by NDHP and NDBCI on 6/30/2024 has been cancelled. Alpha "Al" Ault has been safely located by law enforcement officials.

---

SILVER ALERT – MISSING Male
A Silver Alert is being issued by NDHP and ND BCI at the request of Morton County Sheriff's office.

Alpha "Al" Ault of Mandan North Dakota is an 84-year old white male. He is 5 foot 9 inches tall, weighs 170 pounds and has grey hair and blue eyes.

His last known whereabouts were on June 30th at 4:30 pm near Huff Hills, North Dakota.

Al is wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, a brown belt and sneakers. Al is a vulnerable adult male.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Morton County Sheriff's office at 701-667-3330.

The above Silver Alert information is available to the public by calling 511 and at www.ndresponse.gov/alert.

It's lightning awareness week!

In the United States, lightning routinely kills more people each year than tornadoes or hurricanes. Tornadoes, hail, and wind gusts get the most attention, but only lightning can strike outside the storm itself. Lightning is the first thunderstorm hazard to arrive and the last to leave.

In fact, lightning can strike up to 👏 10 miles 👏 outside of the thunderstorm cloud.

Thunder can travel approximately 10 miles, so if thunder roars, go indoors.

Keep a close eye on the weather today with chances of strong storms across the state.

UPDATE: As of 1:25 all 911 systems are considered back in operation as expected.

Thank you to the crews who worked to restore service!

----------------------------------------------

911 Outages Affecting Western North Dakota

Officials from State Radio are alerting the public of known 911 outages that appear to be affecting parts of the western half of North Dakota.

Officials are working to identify and resolve the issue. Radio systems that are used to dispatch emergency services, such as ambulance, fire, and law enforcement are working as expected.

Those needing to call 911 are instructed to dial their local sheriff’s office or State Radio at 701-328-9921 or 800-472-2121.

This post will be updated as more becomes known.

We're pleased to announce an upcoming workshop for local mitigation planning, available to local government officials, state officials, and others who are involved in the development of a local Mitigation Plan. Find more information on this and other courses at https://apps.nd.gov/des/TrainingAndExercise .

The course objective is to instruct participants how to define hazard mitigation and identify the benefits of mitigation planning; develop or update a local mitigation plan; and identify resources and guidance available for mitigation planning and plan implementation. The learner must achieve a minimum passing score of 75% on final knowledge assessments or demonstrate mastery on performance assessments or research assignments to earn the IACET CEU.

NDDES offers FREE training courses to its Whole Community partners (including, but not limited to, law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, public health, healthcare providers, volunteer organizations, as well as those providing critical infrastructure services and other state agencies).

Be a part of something bigger: come join our team and serve your community! The Division of State Radio has openings for emergency dispatchers.

You can now earn a bonus of up to $4,000 upon being hired! Visit des.nd.gov/emergency-dispatch for details and to apply online.

For more information, call Patty at 701-333-2073.

The Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G4 (severe) Geomagnetic Storm Watch; the center's first since 2005.
Enjoy the aurora borealis, if you're able! And be aware that space weather like this can have an impact on our advanced technologies like communications and electrical power.
Here are some tips from the National Weather Service https://www.weather.gov/safety/space-before

The Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G4 (severe) Geomagnetic Storm Watch; the center's first since 2005. Tonight will be your best chance to view the aurora borealis, with mostly clear skies and lows in the low 40s.

April is Financial Literacy Month

Being financially resilient will prepare you to quickly recover from the financial impacts caused by natural disasters and unexpected emergencies. One way you can take action to increase your financial resilience is by learning how to identify scams.

👉Be wary of phone calls, emails and text messages from people or companies you don’t know, especially if the person is trying to convince you to send them money.
👉Do not click on links in texts or emails from people you don’t know. Scammers can send an email, text or link that appears to be from a reputable credit card company or financial institution that requests account information, often suggesting that there is a problem. Scammers may also try to take advantage of financial fears by calling with work opportunities, debt consolidation offers and student loan repayment plans.
👉Finally, never open an attachment or click on a link sent to you in an unsolicited email. Cleverly crafted links can take you to forged web sites set up to trick you into divulging private information or downloading viruses, spyware and other malicious software.

https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/how-avoid-imposter-scams
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/4-things-you-can-do-keep-yourself-cyber-safe

🌧 Severe Summer Weather Awareness: Flash Flooding 🌧

*When Flooded Turn Around Don’t Drown*

Did you know 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over and carry away an adult? 12 inches of fast moving water can carry away a small car, and 18-24 inches of fast moving water can carry away most large SUVs, vans, and trucks.

Safe Steps:
👉 Get to higher ground
👉 Do not drive into water
👉 Stay informed

------

Join in on the all-ages coloring and meme contest running this week! More information at NDResponse: https://ndresponse.gov/severe-summer-weather-awareness-2024

⚡️ Severe Summer Weather Awareness Week: Lightning ⚡️

------

*When thunder roads, go indoors!*

On average there are 47 deaths each year in the United States resulting from lightning strikes, making them more deadly than tornadoes and hurricanes.

Lightning can strike as far as 15 miles from any rain falling with the thunderstorm. If you are outside and can hear thunder, you are in danger of being struck!

• Stop all outdoor activities
• Seek shelter in building or hard-topped vehicle
• Wait 30 minutes after you last hear thunder to resume activities

------

Join in on the all-ages coloring and meme contest running this week! More information at NDResponse: https://ndresponse.gov/severe-summer-weather-awareness-2024

🌪 Severe Summer Weather Week: Tornado Drill Awareness 🌪

-----

*Make a Plan, and Practice*

🌪 Review your severe weather plan of where to take shelter at home, work or at school.
🌪 Practice going to your shelter area.
🌪 Ensure you have multiple ways of receiving a warning. Don't just rely on the siren! Outdoor warning sirens are designed to warn those outside of threatening weather or some other type of emergency. You may or may not be able to hear a siren from within your home, especially when you are sleeping. Also, sirens may become disabled by severe weather.

Sirens are activated primarily by city or county officials. Each city or county can establish its own guidelines for when to activate the siren, such as for severe thunderstorm warnings in addition to tornado warnings. Contact or visit the website of your city or county emergency management for outdoor siren policy.

------

Join in on the all-ages coloring and meme contest running this week! More information at NDResponse: https://ndresponse.gov/severe-summer-weather-awareness-2024

🌪 Severe Summer Weather Awareness Week: Tornadoes 🌪

-----

Tornadoes are a fascinating, powerful, and dangerous force of nature. Inside winds can swirl up to 300 miles an hour; capable of lifting trains, throwing cars, and flattening towns.

🌪 When you hear a tornado watch: listen to the news and prepare yourself should the tornado develop in your area.
🌪 When you hear a tornado warning: take immediate action. Go to a tornado shelter, get into a basement, or into the innermost room in the house with no windows. If you’re outside with no shelter, crouch low in a ditch.

------

Join in on the coloring and meme festivities this week by sharing your best 'watch vs warning' meme at https://ndresponse.gov/severe-summer-weather-awareness-2024

⛈🌪⚡️ It's the week! ⚡️🌪⛈

All ages are invited to participate in Severe Summer Weather Awareness Week by coloring and submitting one of the coloring sheets or your best tornado ‘watch vs warning’ meme.

Coloring sheets, instructions, games, learning materials, prizes, and promotional materials are all available at NDResponse.gov.
Mail, email, or drop off by April 26th.

https://ndresponse.gov/severe-summer-weather-awareness-2024

Happy Earth Day! And happy kickoff day for ND Severe Summer Weather Awareness week. First up: Severe thunderstorms.

-----

A Severe Thunderstorm is defined as a thunderstorm capable of producing:

⛈ Wind gusts of 58 mph or greater and/or
⛈ Hail of one inch in diameter or larger
⛈ In addition to damaging winds and large hail, severe thunderstorms are also capable of producing tornadoes, flash flooding and deadly lightning.

Stay Safe:

☝️ Watch the weather closely and have multiple methods to receive NSW Watches and Warnings
✌️ Seek permanent shelter. If camping, seek shelter inside a sturdy building as campers/RVs can be easily flipped by damaging winds associated with severe thunderstorms. Falling trees and large hail can easily pe*****te the thin walls of a tent. Those in mobile homes should go to their designated storm shelter. Destructive straight-line winds can cause significant damage to mobile homes.

-----

Join in on the all-ages coloring and meme contest running this week! More information at NDResponse: https://ndresponse.gov/severe-summer-weather-awareness-2024


-----

PC: Jen Raab

⛈🌪⚡️ All-ages coloring and meme contest! ⚡️🌪⛈

April 22-26 is the North Dakota Severe Summer Weather Awareness week. To have some fun as we spread awareness we are pleased to host a coloring contest for all ages!

All ages are invited to participate by coloring and sending in one of the coloring sheets or your best tornado ‘watch vs warning’ meme. Prizes include things to keep on hand during severe weather events.

Coloring sheets, instructions, games, learning materials, prizes, and promotional materials are all available at NDResponse.gov.

- All entries must include name, age, and phone number written on the back, please
- Ages 0-12 have two sheets to choose from, tornado or lightning. One entry per applicant, please
-Mail, email, or drop off by April 26th

Hosted by the ND Dept of Emergency Services, US National Weather Service Bismarck North Dakota, and US National Weather Service Grand Forks North Dakota

https://ndresponse.gov/severe-summer-weather-awareness-2024