Billings Montana Tornado: Major Damage Reported (Videos)

by Amy Judd | June 21, 2010 at 09:30 am

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Billings Montana Was Ripped Apart by a Tornado on Sunday and the Roof of a Sports Arena Was Even Torn Off

There were no deaths or major injuries reported after a tornado touched down on Sunday night and early Monday morning in Billings Montana.

According to CNN, the Governor of Montana Brian Schweitzer has estimated that that damage to the MetraPark sports venue could be between $8 million and $15 million. Luckily there was not an event going on at the time the tornado struck.

Meteorologist Keith Meier of the National Weather Service in Billings estimated the tornado to be as strong as an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds estimated at more than 100 mph.

According to the New York Times, the neighborhoods of the Heights and Lower Heights sustained the most damage, and buildings such as a casino, a laundromat and bar in the downtown region were destroyed along with some gas mains.

At a McDonald’s restaurant, about 20 people took cover in the walk-in freezer when they saw the tornado coming, Lieutenant Cady said. The tornado blew out all the glass from the building.

Severe floods and rain accompanied the tornado and cars had to left stranded on the road; even manhole covers were blown off due to the pressure.

The tornado was first reported at 4:32pm on Sunday June 20.