No Rest for Weary Residents
By Laura McCallum
April 15, 1997

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There's no rest for the weary in Fargo-Moorhead, where residents are not only fighting the rising Red River, but now have to worry about overland flooding. Homeowners along the river can't stop shoring up dikes, and Fargo Mayor Bruce Furness says overland flooding now threatens homes in the southwest part of the city. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

(NAT)

IN ROSE CREEK, AN UPSCALE DEVELOPMENT with homes in the $200- to $300,000 range, homeowners are sandbagging low spots and window wells. City officials say residents of southwest Fargo should prepare for overland flooding, as overwhelming snowmelt from nearby fields flows across anything in its path on its way to the river. Homeowner Connie Sigurdson says she and her neighbors thought they were safe until they heard the news.

I THINK AFTER LAST WEEK WE ALL RESTED WHEN WE HEARD THAT THE PREDICTION WAS OFF, AND SO, I THINK, NO - THIS CAUGHT US OFF GUARD AGAIN.

(NAT)

Along the Red River, it's easy to find homes in danger of flooding - just listen for the rumble of generators and pumps, and look for crews of volunteers in sweatshirts and rubber boots. In south Moorhead, 10-year-old Nels Hunstad looks at his flooded backyard, where his swingset used to be, and can think of only one way to describe it.

UFF DA!

Two dikes are keeping floodwaters from the patio, and a gas-powered pump spews water back into the Red River, just feet from Nel's home. His father, David Hunstad, says if the river continues to rise, they could be in trouble.

OUR SIDES ARE BUILT ON THESE SHRUBS AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW STRONG IT IS, AND THE SEEPAGE IS GETTING STRONGER, SO WE'RE JUST HOPING FOR THE BEST, BUT I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO'VE LOST THEIR DIKES TODAY AND THAT'S HARD TO HEAR, SO. . . .

(NAT of water)

A couple of homes away, Beth Rasmussen can't believe how high the river's risen. Layers of sandbags, plastic and planks keep the water from her home, but beyond the dike, the river is lapping at the floor of a birdhouse she put up with a ladder last fall. Rasmussen has lived here only a year.

WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BUY FLOOD INSURANCE OR ANYTHING - IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN A FLOOD PLAIN AT ALL, EXCEPT FOR I THINK THE 500-YEAR FLOOD PLAIN SO I FIGURE I WON'T SEE ANOTHER FLOOD LIKE THIS CAUSE I WON'T LIVE THAT LONG!

Just then, a Salvation Army truck pulls up with sandwiches and fruit for people battling the flood. Ray Husen is making deliveries.

WE LOOK FOR A CONGREGATION OF CARS AND LOOK BETWEEN THE HOUSES, AND LIKE I SAY - WHEREVER WE CAN FIND 'EM! YOU GOTTA FIND 'EM! MOST PEOPLE SAY, WELL WE'RE OK, BUT WE TRY TO LEAVE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND ANYWAY - WE KNOW THEY EAT IT AFTER WE LEAVE.

Homeowners won't get a break from dike-watching any time soon. Fargo operations manager Dennis Walaker has a long list of areas around town where dikes need reinforcement.

WE'RE GOING TO BE IN HARM'S WAY HERE AT LEAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND BEFORE WE SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT DROP.

City officials say they can't let up their guard - they'll continue to prepare sandbags, volunteers are still in big demand, and residents should use water sparingly.

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