Tornadoes strike near Dodge
By Daniel Arens
An oppressive heat wave gave way last Saturday to a strong weather system in the evening that swept over North Dakota, ushering in more moderate weather in its wake.
But first, the line itself caused a considerable shakeup. Two tornadoes, as well as hail and strong wind, swept through eastern Dunn and western Mercer County, bringing damage and unease to residents in the area.
The first tornado touched down at the property of Robert and Marilyn Greenshields, who live east of Dodge along Highway 200, just outside the city limits. Robert and Marilyn, who had family over when the storm struck, witnessed much of the tornado’s development themselves.
Eventually, as the tornado came nearer and approached the ground, the family took refuge in the basement. But their stay there was brief. Hardly had they reached the bottom of the steps when the wind and noise went quiet.
Robert said he returned upstairs just in time to see the tornado disappearing back into the cloud, only a matter of seconds after it started coming down.
