Moorhead Under Siege
By Dan Gunderson
April 10, 1997

To listen: RealAudio 2.0 14.4 - RealAudio 3.0 28.8

People in the Red River Valley have been preparing for weeks for expected flooding. But no one anticipated the amount of water that has been moving north along the river, devastating towns and farms along the way.

Yesterday, people in Fargo-Moorhead learned they had as little as 36 hours to raise dikes by two feet because the river could go higher than earlier predicted.

Hundreds of people worked through the night in an effort to beat the clock. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson reports:

SFX: CHOPPER

MOORHEAD SOUNDS AND LOOKS like a community preparing for an invasion. Army National Guard helicopters fly overhead. Humvees and five-ton trucks rumble through the streets.

The local National Guard headquarters is abuzz with activity. Captain Tim Koyteen says the toughest part of the job has been fighting through ice and water to rescue people stranded from small towns and the countryside.

WHEN BUMPERS ARE BENDING ON FIVE-TON TRUCKS YOU KNOW IT'S HEAVY ICE, AND TOUGH ON SOLDIERS AND THE VEHICLES.

Captain Koyteen expects that the rescue portion part of the guard's mission will continue as the record spring floodwaters roll north toward Canada.

IT'S SWEEPING INTO TOWNS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN FLOODED BEFORE, AND PEOPLE DON'T EXPECT FLOODWATERS AROUND THEIR HOUSE. THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT HAPPENS AND THEY'RE TRAPPED. SO THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN OUT WITH TRUCKS, AND OTHER HEAVY EQUIPMENT, AND EVEN HAVING HELICOPTERS COME AND PULL 'EM OUT.

SFX

About a block away from the National Guard post is sandbag central. A large city garage has been turned into a sandbag manufacturing plant. Dozens of volunteers fill bags and load them on trucks to be hauled to neighborhoods where volunteers fight to save homes from the rising water.

SFX SANDBAG LINE

Across town a line of volunteers winds from Paul Korsmo's driveway around to the back of his house. Sandbags quickly pass from hand to hand, ending up on top of a dike that grows steadily higher.

OH MAN. WE'VE HAD SOMETHING LIKE 80 PEOPLE HERE. 40 HERE RIGHT NOW I THINK. THE YOUNG BODIES ARE REALLY GOOD. THEY DON'T PLAY OUT LIKE US OLD CODGERS.

Dave Solem has been hefting the 30-pound sandbags for hours. Late at night, in 19-degree temperatures. He's still upbeat:

ITS NOT COLD AFTER YOU GET WORKING FOR AWHILE. IT'S KINDA FUN. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING GOOD AND IT'S ACTUALLY KINDA FUN.

SFX SANDBAGGERS SINGING, FADE TO HEAVY EQUIPMENT

Just down the block the National Guard is working to build an earthen dike two feet higher. Nearby, working under large floodlights, city workers plug sewers to keep out river water. City employee Adam Powers explains:

SO THEY'RE DOWN THERE PUNCHING IN A PLUG..WE'VE HAD PEOPLE GO DOWN IN AT LEAST 15 FEET OF WATER TO PUT IN A PLUG. LAST NITE WE HAD 'EM DOWN IN THE SANITARY SEWER. SOME GUYS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEERED TO DO THAT, JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS PLUGGED UP.

All of these preparations are the responsibility of weary Moorhead public works director Bob Martin. At the city's emergency operations center, Martin sits at a table surrounded by phones. He's had a couple hours of sleep in the last two days, but tonight he's feeling good despite the higher than expected river levels.

IT'S NOT A LOT OF TIME TO GET PREPARED TO BEGIN WITH. THEN WHEN YOU ADD A HIGHER STAGE IN THE LAST COUPLE DAYS. IT'S PRETTY STRENUOUS. WE HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS, .BUT I'M OPTIMISTIC. I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT WHATS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

Between telephone calls Martin jokes he's putting bets on a lower than expected river crest. He claims to have inside information.

YOU'RE TALKIN' TO GOD NOW, BOB. YES I AM. I'M TALKING TO GOD A LOT. I'M PRAYIN'.

The praying and preparation will continue today as Fargo-Moorhead prepares for an expected river crest late tonight (Thursday) or Friday.

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