Posted: Jun 20, 2010 5:47 PM by KRTV News (Great Falls)
Updated: Jun 20, 2010 11:37 PM
A tornado touched down in Billings Sunday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. causing severe damage to MetraPark and other buildings along Main Street in the Billings Heights. At this point no fatalities or serious injuries have been reported.
Click here to see raw video of the tornado and aftermath.
Streets across the city are flooded. Law enforcement officers are helping guide traffic. Main street is closed indefinitely from 1st Avenue North to Hilltop Road. Senators Boulevard down to Alkali Creek is also closed in the Heights. Sgt. Kevin Iffland with the BPD is asking people needing to get to the Heights to do so by taking Airport Road to Aronson Road.
The Montana National Guard has been asked to bring in 10-20 Guardsmen to assist the Billings Police with security in the damaged area.
Northwestern Energy's Claudia Rapkoch says there are multiple outages largely widespread throughout the heights and lockwood. Crews are doing damage assessment now and calling in everyone for restoration. Lines and poles are down. Stay away from downed lines.
MetraPark general manager Bill Dutcher says the tornado that ripped through Billings Heights also decimated the roof of the Rimrock Auto arena as well as neighboring businesses; Dutcher was on site shortly after the storm struck and said the damage to the roof of the Rimrock Auto Arena is very substantial including the roofing material and the deck below. Office space is damaged and unusable and a catering van parked in the front of the building is a loss. He asked the public not to attempt to enter the area due to hazards, debris, and downed power lines.
(First Report, 5:47 p.m.) Severe weather across Montana has produced at least one tornado in Billings, and there are initial reports that it has struck and damaged the Billings MetraPark event center. A tornado watch has been in effect for much of southeastern Montana, meaning that conditions were favorable for tornadoes to form.
A caller to KRTV reported that her son-in-law, who lives in Billings, stated part of the MetraPark is laying in shambles, and that power is out across large portions of the town.
In addition, there are reports that flooding is a major concern, and that some shops and homes have been damaged by the waters and the winds, particulary in the Billings Heights area.
Below is an embed of a video posted on YouTube; be advised that there is some strong language.
Click here to watch more YouTube videos of the tornado forming.
Kevin Scott forwarded to KRTV these pictures taken by Andy Stoltenberg in Billings:


Closer to Great Falls, there are reports of golf-ball sized hail near Lewistown and Stanford.
Take note of the following weather alerts across Montana; click on the KRTV Weather page for the latest conditions and forecast for your area.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch - Absaroka/Beartooth Mountains, Custer, Eastern Carbon, Musselshell, Northern Big Horn, Northern Rosebud, Powder River, Red Lodge Foothills, Southern Big Horn, Southern Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone
Tornado Warning - Yellowstone
Tornado Watch - Carter, Fallon
Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Carter, Chouteau, Fergus, Garfield, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, Judith Gap, Musselshell, Northern Big Horn, Northern Rosebud, Petroleum, Southern Big Horn, Southern Rosebud, Yellowstone
Flood Warning - Broadwater, Cascade
Flash Flood Warning - Yellowstone
Flash Flood Watch - Central and Southeast Phillips, Central and Southern Valley, Daniels, Dawson, Eastern Roosevelt, Garfield, McCone, Northern Phillips, Northern Valley, Petroleum, Prairie, Richland, Sheridan, Southwest Phillips, Western Roosevelt, Wibaux
Areal Flood Advisory - Beaverhead, Crazy Mountains, Gallatin, Judith Gap, Madison, Southern Wheatland
Areal Flood Watch - Flathead/Mission Valleys, Lower Clark Fork Region, Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys, West Glacier Region
Areal Flood Watch, Areal Flood Advisory - Blaine, Broadwater, Central and Southern Lewis and Clark, Chouteau, Eastern Glacier, Eastern Pondera, Eastern Teton, Fergus, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Kootenai/Cabinet Region, Liberty, Meagher, Northern Rocky Mountain Front, Southern Rocky Mountain Front, Toole
Flash Flood Watch, Areal Flood Watch - Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains, Butte/Blackfoot Region, Potomac/Seeley Lake Region
Areal Flood Watch, Areal Flood Advisory - Cascade
Special Weather Statement - Fergus, Flathead/Mission Valleys
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