Wednesday, March 17, 2010

FM Flood Fight 2010

The rumble of the dump trucks is evident again today. As are the overhead helicopters. The sandbags and loads of clay for the levees are arriving by police escort. The war-zone feel has returned.

And yet its different this year. I've been out walking looking for places that needed help. From the places I can get to by walking, the clay levees are replacing the need for sandbags in our immediate area. So instead I'm washing clothes now and doing any major cleaning for when they ask us to cut back on water usage later. We haven't pulled the toilets yet, or plugged anything yet.  Tomorrow we will go to the volunteer center with the kids to see where our help is needed most.



This is what our neighborhood looked like last year. It was sandbag central and all we had to do was walk out our door and go to work.


Currently the river is at 28.66. The forecast is still for 38 feet with the crest coming on Sunday. We've been a bit on the fence about leaving. Last year we had to evacuate, but this year we had a trip planned already.

Nolan is playing in a hockey showcase this weekend in Minneapolis and we think we'll go. Its a little unnerving in the event our sump pump goes out, and yet I'm not certain its cause for us to stay. We'll have neighbors keep an eye on the house for us.

Maybe I only feel this way because the sun came out for the first time in weeks today and we broke 40 degrees. Or maybe because the river is being stopped further away from our house this year, and I can't say that I feel as directly threatened.


This was over just a block directly behind our house last year. It wasn't built wide enough at the base and there was a big concern the dike could breach here. We spent a week on this dike working alongside these fire fighters.  The water eventually came within inches of the top of this dike. But it held.







For perspective, this is the river behaving nicely on a typical summer afternoon.  You can easily see the other side and it doesn't get much wider than this in most spots.  We had rescued a wayward turtle in our yard and returned him to his former stomping grounds on this day.





Instead of the sandbag dike, this is the clay levee going in down from our house by the coulee.  Last year the water come over this road and down throughout all of these backyards.  This year only the houses to the north of  this avenue will have to sandbag.  Our house is to the south of this avenue.









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Rivershore Drive is notoriously the street that needs to be sandbagged the most. The driveways are filled with palettes of sandbags waiting to be placed.

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Traveling along the bridge that divides North Dakota and Minnesota. The river is on the border of the two states and is underneath the highway. A quick snapshot through the window of the car as we passed over.  The water is usually only to the edge of these trees.

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Another bridge that crosses back into Moorhead where you can see a bit of the river spreading well over its banks.

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Woodlawn park which is completely under water now.

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16 comments:

  1. Hi Vicky

    I hope that you can have a relaxing weekend away, knowing that the river is peaking. But it sounds as if good precautionary measures are in place.

    I am back at home now to the wettest rainy season in history...and this weekend a cyclone coming down the coast is to bring enormous swells to our beaches...nature is awesome in its beauty and its force.

    Happy days

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  2. The community certainly seems to band together to wall off the water. I'll be thinking of you this weekend. If you get away, hope it is a good trip and that you return to a dry home.

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  3. Delwyn, Be safe! from a Tsunami to a cyclone... it doesn't get more powerful than that! Glad you are home safely and will be thinking of you.

    Bonnie, thank you, the community as a whole seems more confident and prepared due to how much we learned last year, and I think we all feel that the community is our best asset in getting through.

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  4. I cannot immagine what is like to go thru something like this. Glad the community bands together to help each other in times like this.

    Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

    Try to enjoy the week end away as much as possible.

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  5. Thanks Verna :) We're so grateful for our community... its why most of us choose to continue to live here.

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  6. Hey Vicky! Just read this article and wanted to share it:

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100317/ap_on_re_us/us_flood_threat_student_volunteers

    You definitely live in an awesome community. Stay safe, my friend, and try to enjoy your weekend away:) Still praying for you and your friends & neighbors!

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  7. My husband was from Minnesota and I visited it once with him and admired all the moisture and lakes, but now I see the downside.

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  8. Vicky....I have been keeping my eye on CNN...regarding the river...and thinking of you...and continue to pray.
    The photos tell so much....but no one knows like those of you who have had to leave their homes what it is really like.
    My prayers are with you. Please...please...keep in touch.
    Love,
    Jackie

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  9. Kaleena, thanks for the link... what a great story and that is exactly what it is like here. Thank goodness for our students and their willingness to step up and help! Thanks for the prayers, they are so appreciated.

    Kass, yes, its a beautiful state and I wouldn't trade but we've been in quite the wet pattern these last few years. We are getting better at handling it though and that is encouraging :)

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  10. Jackie, thinking of you and Mama Rose! Hope she is doing better and better. Thank you for your prayers! We seem to be doing well so far, although each day can be a new adventure when it comes to mother nature!

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  11. You are in our thoughts and prayers there ... we're scheduled for some more snow on Friday ... the colder temps again may slow things down a bit ...there's not much danger of flooding in this area

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  12. Vicky, does this happened every year?
    I can image defending my home on a constant basis or even that much water. We had some flash flooding 2 weeks ago cased by a wild storm but they are calling that event something that only happens in every 100 years. The estimated damage bill was $220 million.

    I hope that you ,your family and home stay safe.

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  13. I hope you are safe and sound from the overflow. It seems like such an terrible thing to have to deal with every year. I certainly hope and pray this one is better than last.

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  14. Hope you and your family are okay. I pray everything gets back to normal to some extent. How crazy for all of you and your neighbors. A funny thing is that I grew up in a neighborhood called Woodlawn. All my hugs going out to you :)

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  15. Amazing pictures, wow, what an experience that must be. I hope things work out for you and your friends this year. Your in my thoughts and prayers.

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  16. I'm so glad you're going anyway, and that you have such caring neighbors that you can do that without anxiety. Praying this is an easier Spring all around for you...

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I welcome what you have to say. Thanks for taking the time to grace me with your thoughts and words!

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