UPDATED: Storm systems uproot trees, cause power outage in Jamestown

JAMESTOWN — Many trees were uprooted in Jamestown and lots of residents are without power after a severe thunderstorm hit the area Friday evening into early Saturday morning, June 20-21, according to Lt. Andrew Staska with the Jamestown Police Department.

“Nobody has power,” he said, at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

About 6,700 Otter Tail Power Co. customers in Stutsman County are without power at about 8 p.m. Saturday, according to Otter Tail’s power outage map.

More than 20,000 Otter Tail Power customers were without power after the severe weather, said Stephanie Hoff, director of communications.

Kathy Steier / The Jamestown Sun

“Our crews are patrolling the lines to address the known issues and then to search for issues that have yet to be identified,” she said at about 11 a.m. Saturday. “Our service area experienced multiple tornadoes. We’ve had reports of wind over 100 miles an hour, and there were areas of large hail as well. So all those elements added together present threat to the system so that’s what we’re experiencing right now.”

Hoff said Otter Tail Power has some downed or broken poles and some broken power lines.

Otter Tail Power crews have restored power to a number of communities in the Jamestown area, the company said on its website at 7:30 p.m. Otter Tail Power is waiting for additional material delivery for the city of Jamestown where will continue working Saturday evening.

Otter Tail Power says crews will work until 10 p.m. Saturday and resume work at 6 a.m. Sunday, June 22.

Otter Tail Power also anticipates power being restored to Streeter and Medina by midday Sunday.

Another update will be provided at about 9 a.m. Sunday on Otter Tail Power’s website.

Kathy Steiner / The Jamestown Sun

Mayor Dwaine Heinrich issued an emergency declaration on Saturday, June 21, for the severe weather that Jamestown experienced.

The emergency declaration says the city of Jamestown is experiencing power loss for some of its critical functions, including the city’s lift stations and pump stations. The declaration says that is affecting the city’s ability to “efficiently collect, treat and provide water and to provide mobility throughout the City and provide essential functions.”

The declaration also says the storm water has placed additional strain on the city’s infrastructure.

For the next five days until Thursday, June 26, the declaration allows anyone who is not a licensed arborist to engage to help with tree waste removal as long as the trees or logs have fallen on the ground and don’t pose a risk of structural or personal injury

Due to ongoing power issues from the storm, the city engineer’s office asked Jamestown residents to conserve water and sanitary sewer usage immediately.

Jamestown residents should limit use to essential needs only until further notice. This conservation is needed until power is restored.

Staska said trees were uprooted and are partially or fully blocking some streets in Jamestown. He said the city of Jamestown’s Street Department is working to clear the trees from roads.

He also said he’s seen many trees on top of vehicles and trailers flipped over in Jamestown.

“A lot of debris from who knows where,” he said.

For tree removal, Jamestown residents can bring tree debris to the baler, the city engineer’s office said. The dropoff location(s) may be different than normal, so watch for instructions.

Some gas stations had power earlier Saturday morning, but Staska said at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday that all gas stations had lost power.

“A lot of people driving around trying to find gas and nobody can find it because they are all out of power right now,” he said. “So people trying to run their generators or chainsaws also are trying to get gas for that and don’t have any. They are running out because they can’t pump anything right now.”

Two storm systems came through the Jamestown area Friday evening into Saturday morning, said Megan Jones, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck.

Jones said the first storm on Friday evening developed just south of Jamestown and slowly went north. That storm produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter.

“There was a very large hail cell in the city of Jamestown and the immediate surrounding area,” she said.

That storm moved to the northeast and produced a tornado in the Spiritwood area, she said.

After the first storm system, she said another system produced a “significant line of wind” that moved through Bismarck and Jamestown. She said wind gusts were measured up to 94 mph 2 miles northeast of Woodworth and 89 mph 5 miles west of Courtenay.

Any perishable food that was in a refrigerator should be thrown away, according to information on food safety from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was posted on Central Valley Health District’s Facebook page. Food can be in a freezer, if full, for up to 48 hours or up to 24 hours if the freezer if half full.