Floods do happen outside of Fargo

Our Opinion/Floods do happen outside of Fargo

By John Strand
Staff Writer

Having far too much experience dealing with severe flooding, eastern North Dakota residents easily understand the threats now bearing down on Bismarck, our capital city, and even Minot.
Make no mistake about it, the impending deluge of water barreling down the Missouri toward Bismarck is ominous to say the least. This writer was there for three days helping a families in at-risk locations in Mandan and Bismarck. While we have some first-hand experience in relating the situation there, we only know the Minot flooding news through media outlets.

So, Bismarck-Mandan, and what was Memorial Day weekend like?

For most, it was grueling. For some it was bitter-sweet. For a few, we suspect, it’s more than they were able to bear. For most people affected it was more than they were prepared for.

Not very long ago, some commented, the biggest worries along the Missouri River were the wakes from boats going too fast past developed regions. Now, the possibility of calamity prevails The peak releases of water out of Garrison Dam by Thursday, the same day HPR will be hitting the street, present frightening challenges to Burleigh County and Morton County, not to overlook Bismarck and Mandan.

For a sense of perspective, the river flow later this week in the Missouri will be four to five times the record levels reached by the Red River in 2009. That’s a lot of water. And, as a consequence, there are a lot of people facing danger as courageously as they can.
Bismarck-Mandan’s projected sandbag requirements escalated to an estimated need exceeding 8 million. Recall, Fargo set out well over a month in advance to create a reserve of 6 million sandbags. These folks have less than a week.

Unfortunately Fargo-Moorhead leaders and citizens have become somewhat accustomed to annual flood threats. That is not the case for residents living along the Missouri, especially since the construction of Garrison dam decades ago.

It is not a situation anyone would wish upon their worst enemy. The reality facing literally thousands upon thousands of people out west is beyond comprehension let alone words. Official reports through Memorial Day indicated the loss of 1,000 homes north and South of Bismarck-Mandan and the displacement of some 4,000 people from their homes.
Folks did well in coping with a constant change of information, which seemed worse with each new announcement, and rather then focusing on negativity and complaining, they rolled up their sleeves and went to work like few can imagine.

Residents nearest the Missouri had the challenge of building some four feet of protection in less than a week. Some were very creative and took visible steps to protect their properties:  huge round hay bales could be seen, even at one home with a newly constructed concrete flood wall around the periphery.

Most, however, did it the old fashioned way. They went to work emptying their homes, in many instances, and then after that they built protection around their own homes, often times intertwined with efforts of neighbors.  Family and friends saved the day for many. The biggest heroes of all, it would have to be said, were the hundreds and hundreds of National Guard men and women, along with law enforcement personnel.

Some neighborhoods expect protection from levy construction, while others are not included in the protected areas. Residents remained undaunted and in at least one marina neighborhood they agreed that the citizens themselves would protect their sector, with each home committed to providing 3,000 sand bags to contribute to the cause.

Several spider bagging machines arrived from eastern North Dakota and provided thousands upon thousands of quickly-available sandbags. Over a million bags were transported from eastern North Dakota on pallets and ready for deployment. On top of that, thousands of citizens, young and old, filled one bag at a time, endlessly, tirelessly.

Memorial Day weekend for many was marred by abandoned family plans for things like high school graduations and the like. The good news for many was the availability of countless volunteers who otherwise would not have been able to help. That and relatively decent weather over the holiday weekend proved to be godsends in ways hard to measure when it’s a potential catastrophe coming down the pike.

Minot residents are facing evacuations along flood areas this week. Bismarck-Mandan residents are facing a challenge of a lifetime.

Do not assume they have it in hand. Neither should anyone assume they have success in the bag, because they do not. Many face displacement from their homes for weeks or even months. Others have already lost the battle. The biggest number of people, however, are living in absolute fear of a flood of potential historic proportion, and quite frankly need all kinds of help, urgently.

If You Volunteer
Flood Hotline: 701-355-1659
[jesse note: It seems like maybe information for how HPR readers can help might be good, though perhaps Thursday is too late.  I got that number from: ]http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_c0586498-8bcc-11e0-9537-001cc4c002e0.html]

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