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BILLINGS, MT – Montana’s Congressman and Billings resident, Denny Rehberg, today issued the following statement in response to the tornado that hit the MetraPark on Sunday, destroying Rimrock Auto Arena and damaging many Main Street businesses.

“It’s scary how fast a disaster like this can tear through a community. Jan and I are thankful to our brave first responders in Billings, and this morning I’ve been on the ground in Billings meeting with city, county and state officials to determine what role the federal government can play. While the tornado tore apart the MetraPark and other businesses, I am confident that the community of Billings and our elected officials will pull together to aid in the response. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted by this storm.”

Here is extended raw video of the debris cloud and aftermath:

The Montana National Guard is assisting with post-tornado recovery, with 16 Guard members providing security in the most severely damaged areas of the city. The soldiers are assisting the Billings Police Department to ensure safety and security of businesses in the area and are working under the direction and control of the Billings Police Department and are not armed.

The majority of the soldiers on hand in Billings are members of the 190th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, which is headquartered in Billings.

The tornado caused as much as $15-million in damage to the Billings MetraPark events center; initial reports indicate that the twister caused no fatalities and no serious injuries.

Governor Brian Schweitzer is scheduled to tour the affected areas on Monday.

Click here to read more about the tornado and for links to viewer videos.