State of Emergency Declared in Anaconda, Mont.

Anaconda Police Chief John Sullivan, left, points out damage to the Washington School to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007, in Anaconda, Mont. (AP Photo/The Montana Standard, Lisa Kunkel)

Following his tour of the damage caused in Anaconda, Mont., in November by strong winds, Gov. Brian Schweitzer declared a state of emergency to provide about $20,000 for restoration work.

“We’re declaring this emergency because financially we are being overwhelmed by the cost of what is happening and by the degree of damage throughout the city,” Bill Converse, the Anaconda-Deer Lodge Disaster and Emergency Services Director, told KXLF television.

Winds gusting up to 70 mph uprooted trees, downed power lines and blew the roof off an old school building in November. The storms knocked out power across the state, said Claudia Rapkoch, a spokeswoman for NorthWestern Energy. Police Chief John Sullivan said the county’s 911 center received about 140 calls, most to report downed wires and toppled trees. Injuries from the storm caused only minor injuries, although property damage was extensive.

“I called everybody out,” Sullivan said. “They were very professional and did an excellent job. There’s not really a protocol for wind.”

“We’re going to work with the community to find all the vehicles through state and federal agencies to get this area back on its feet,”Schweitzer added.