Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 12 July 2018

Official: Warning siren worked, but residents didn’t hear it

WATFORD CITY, N.D. (AP) — nated more than $14,200
All eight outdoor warning as of early Wednesday.
sirens in a North Dakota oil Lt. Matthew Watkins of the
patch city were sounded McKenzie County Sheriff’s
before a deadly tornado Office said the number of
ravaged an RV park, but people injured stood at 29
park residents and others on Wednesday afternoon,
said they didn’t hear them, but he expected that num-
authorities said Wednes- ber to rise. Nine of those
day. are in critical condition, he
A newborn baby was killed said.
and more than two dozen National Weather Service
people were injured when meteorologist John Paul
the storm moved through Martin classified the tor-
Watford City shortly after nado as an EF2, which is
midnight Tuesday. More defined by wind speeds
than 120 structures were between 111 and 135 mph.
demolished. Wind speeds reached 127
Karolin Jappe, the McK- mph in Watford City, dam-
enzie County emergency aging mobile homes and
manager, said all of the overturning campers in the
sirens functioned properly, RV park that sprung up dur-
including one within blocks ing the recent oil boom.
of the RV park. About 150 people went to
“When you put a siren In this Tuesday, July 10, 2018 photo, Louis Vallieres searches for clothes and valuables through the Watford City Civic Cen-
in that environment you the wreckage of his mobile home in the Prairie View RV Park in Watford City, N.D., after a tornado ter where the Red Cross set
aren’t going to hear that whipped through the North Dakota oil patch city overnight, overturning recreational vehicles and up a shelter after the storm.
unless you’re outside. And demolishing more than 100 structures, officials said Tuesday. About 60 people including
nobody would be outside Associated Press 14 children remained there
in that weather,” Jappe that people can buy is an hear sirens but someone within minutes of the RV early Wednesday, ac-
said. “I’ve never heard a all-hazard weather radio,” he knows who lives across park. cording to spokeswoman
storm that loud in the six Senger said. “We can’t pro- town heard them. The tornado destroyed Gretchen Hjelmstad. The
years I have been in North mote those things enough.” “It was pretty calm on that 122 structures and dam- Red Cross is opening a re-
Dakota.” McKenzie County Sheriff side of town,” Bowden said. aged about 200 more, source center at the Wat-
Mary Senger, emergency Gary Schwartzenberger Ken Simosko, National though about 120 are still ford City Civic Center for
manager for Burleigh Coun- said he lives on a hill over- Weather Service meteo- habitable, Mike Nowatzki, individuals and families af-
ty in Bismarck, said it’s not looking the park and he rologist in Bismarck, said a spokesman for Gov. Doug fected by the storm, which
unusual for high winds to didn’t hear the sirens. severe thunderstorm warn- Burgum, said Wednesday. will be open from 9 a.m. to
distort the sound of a siren, “When it went over our ing with the possibility of a Schwartzenberger report- 7 p.m. Thursday.
which typically has a 1-mile house it sounded just like a tornado was issued about ed to Burgum and other of- Schwartzenberger said
radius. She said the systems 757 jet engine,” Schwartz- 60 minutes in advance of ficials late Tuesday that the cleanup efforts “with
are meant to alert people enberger said. “It was cra- the storm. He declined to boy who was killed was the equipment and man-
who are engaged in out- zy. I didn’t think it was go- talk about what impact the son of Marisa Reber and power” were in full swing
door activities and most of ing to be that loud and that storm would have on the Will Maguire, according to Wednesday.
the sirens are placed near strong.” sound of warning sirens. The Bismarck Tribune. A Go- “Things are kind of con-
parks, sporting venues or Prairie View RV park resi- Schwartzenberger said FundMe account set up for trolled chaos this morning,”
other recreational areas. dent Clifford Bowden said there are numerous shelters the couple showed more he said. “It is a pretty som-
“The cheapest insurance he and his neighbors didn’t in the city, some of them than 250 people had do- ber day.”q
Hawaii Supreme Court sides with lesbian couple in B&B case

By AUDREY McAVOY ruling that ordered her to the law hasn’t changed
Associated Press stop discriminating against even after the U.S. Su-
HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii same-sex couples. preme Court last month,
appeals court ruling that a Young is considering her in a limited decision, sided
bed and breakfast discrimi- options for appeal, said with a Colorado baker who
nated by denying a room Jim Campbell, senior coun- refused to make a wed-
to two women because sel for Alliance Defending ding cake for a same-sex
they’re gay will stand after Freedom, a conservative couple.
the state’s high court de- Christian law firm that is rep- He said “there still is no li-
clined to take up the case. resenting her. “Everyone cense to discriminate.”
Aloha Bed & Breakfast should be free to live and “The government contin-
owner Phyllis Young had work according to their re- ues to have the power to
argued she should be al- ligious convictions — espe- protect people from the
lowed to turn away gay cially when determining the harms of discrimination, in-
couples because of her re- living arrangements in their cluding when it’s motivat-
ligious beliefs. own home,” Campbell said ed by religion,” said Renn,
But the Hawaii Supreme in an emailed statement. who is a senior attorney
In this Dec. 19, 2011 file photo, Taeko Bufford, left, and Diane Court on Tuesday unani- Peter Renn, who represents with Lambda Legal, an or-
Cervelli pose for a photo near Waikiki beach in Honolulu. mously rejected Young’s the couple, said the Hawaii ganization that defends
Associated Press appeal of a lower court high court’s order indicates LGBTQ rights.q