Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Mark Dayton today made the following statement calling for an immediate, independent investigation of the actions taken by National Weather Service officials during the fatal tornado in Rogers, Minnesota.

“I am outraged by the National Weather Service’s failure to notify the people of Rogers, before last Saturday night’s disastrous tornado. The actions taken, and not taken, by the National Weather Service officials on duty that night should be investigated immediately. If anyone is determined to be culpable for the terrible failure to forewarn Rogers area residents, they should be terminated. If failed procedures were culpable, they must be revised immediately, so that another innocent, ten-year-old girl never dies.

“From the National Weather Service’s subsequent excuses, it is clear to me that they are incapable of conducting their own investigation into their failures last Saturday night. So, today, I am asking the Inspector General of the U.S. Commerce Department to conduct an immediate, independent investigation into this tragic incident. “The self-exoneration by the National Weather Service’s Chanhassen office is grossly inadequate to the horrible tragedy which occurred. One person died; six others were hospitalized; 17 homes were destroyed; 40 homes suffered major damage; and 120 homes suffered minor damage. By the National Weather Service’s own account, damaging thunderstorm winds, elsewhere reported to be straight-line winds of 80 mph, downed trees in Howard Lake and South Haven, west of Rogers, at 9:29 and 9:30 p.m. At 9:45 p.m., a National Weather Service report noted “damaging thunderstorm wind, Rogers – 2 x 4’s and other debris. Large road sign wrapped around pole.” At 9:54 p.m., a National Weather Service radar scan showed a “hook echo, indicative of extreme rotation or tornadoes.” Yet, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office reported receiving no call from the Weather Service to sound warning sirens in the Rogers area until 10:46 p.m., when a second approaching “cell” was noted.

“This catastrophic failure must never be allowed to happen again. Never again can an innocent young life be lost, while the federal government’s system responsible for protecting her failed to do so.”

Dayton today sent the following letter to the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce.

September 19, 2006

Mr. Johnnie E. Frazier Inspector General United States Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230

Dear Mr. Frazier:

Last Saturday night, a tornado struck Rogers, Minnesota. It killed a ten-year-old girl, hospitalized six other people, destroyed 17 homes, and caused major damage to 40 others and minor damage to 120 more. Yet, the National Weather Service failed to notify the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office, per their established procedures, to sound warning sirens in that area, until a second approaching cell was noted almost an hour later.

Already, the National Weather Service officials in Chanhassen, Minnesota, have exonerated themselves from any of that night’s failures. Yet, their own chronology of events, including notation of “damaging thunderstorm wind in Rogers, Hennepin County - 2 x 4’s and other debris. Large road sign wrapped around pole,” 13 minutes before the tornado reportedly struck Rogers, raises very serious questions about the failure to forewarn residents there of approaching danger.

I ask your office to conduct an immediate and urgent investigation into this incident and to determine whether the National Weather Service radar and other weather detection equipment is “state-of-the art,” whether its notification procedures are adequate, and whether any of its personnel were culpable for last Saturday night’s catastrophe. Never again can an innocent, ten-year-old girl’s life be lost, while her government’s systems or personnel fail to warn her.

Sincerely,

Mark Dayton United States Senator

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