Beginning the Cleanup in Montevideo
By Perry Finelli
April 24, 1997

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Even though the public's attention is focused on the devastating flooding in the Red River valley, it wasn't long ago that places like Granite Falls and Montevideo in southwestern Minnesota were the center of attention. The clean-up is well underway in those cities overrun by the Minnesota River earlier this month. Busloads of Twin Cities residents have been making the daily trek to help area residents for more than week...and will continue to do so until they're no longer needed. Minnesota Public Radio's Perry Finelli went along for the ride...and has a report.

SFX: BUS RIDER COMMENTING ON WHAT HE SEES AS THE BUS TRAVELS THROUGH MONTEVIDEO.

Bill Carlyon of Maple Grove peers out the large bus window and surveys the remnants of the flooding that hit Montevideo almost three weeks ago. At first glance, it looks perfectly normal, but then he begins to pick out the tell-tale signs: mud and debris litter parts of the city, sandbags still ring a restaurant on seemingly high ground, and a main highway remains closed southeast of town. Carlyon, an engineer for Alliant Techsystems, used one his few remaining vacation days to join about 40 other volunteers in the Salvation Army's "Operation We Care". He's been watching TV coverage of this spring's flooding and is convinced there's more to the story.

THEY JUST SHOW YOU A LOT OF HOUSES WITH A LOT OF WATER IN THEM. THEY DON'T SHOW YOU WHAT'S LEFT OVER AFTER THE WATER RECEDES. I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF MUD AND I'M REALLY NOT SURE HOW BAD IT'S GOING TO BE.

SFX: VOLUNTEERS GETTING OFF BUS WHICH ARRIVES WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO WORK.

On this day, Carlyon and the other volunteers arrive in an area where about 100 homes are located right along the river. At the height of the flood, up to three feet of water covered the ground in most of the neighborhood. Authorities have only just begun allowing residents in to get a look at the damage to their homes, and, in many cases, homeowners won't be able to move back in until next month.

Lillian Ladwig has lived in her home for more than 50 years. She's never had water in her basement, let alone been forced out of her home by flood waters. Ladwig and her husband have needed all the help they can get.

THE KIDS CAME OVER AND CLEANED THE BASEMENT OUT, SO THAT'S ALL IN THE BACKYARD. THAT'S FULL. AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CLEAN-UP NOW SO WE CAN GET BACK IN. WE GOT NO HEAT, NO ELECTRICITY, WE DO HAVE WATER, NO GAS. SO, YOU'RE CAMPING. SHORT LAUGH.

SFX: SPICER TALKING WITH ANOTHER SALVATION ARMY OFFICIAL.

Scott Spicer, who's been supervising the Salvation Army's cleanup effort in Granite Falls and Montevideo, says the help has been an enormous benefit to those people who're trying to rebuild their lives.

THEY'VE FOUGHT THE THINGS FOR A LONG TIME, AND THEN WHEN YOU LOSE, AND YOU HAVE THAT HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK AND CLEANUP AND SANITIZING. EVERYONE'S THROWING THESE RULES AT YOU, YOU CAN KEEP THIS BUT YOU CAN'T THAT, YOU HAVE TO STERILIZE THAT BUT YOU CAN'T THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE OVERWHELMING FOR PEOPLE I THINK.

SFX: CLEANING UP A BASEMENT.

No basement can be cleaned until all standing water is pumped out. As part of "Operation We Care", small groups of people fan out from the Salvation Army Mobile Communications Center armed with the equipment needed to clean and disinfect wet basements. Before they can even start up the generators, all the stuff that's in the basement has to come out, a painstakingly slow and difficult process. Because many residents aren't home, the Salvation Army attaches colored slips of paper on front doors, indicating to volunteers the status of the clean-up: nobody's been there; needs more work; or is finished.

SFX: SHOP VAC COLLECTING WATER.THEN POURED OUT WITH RUSHING WATER

Bill Carlyon drags a shop vac containing gallons of muddy water across the floor and pours it down the drain.

And so the cleanup goes, all day, until it's time for the bus to make its return trip to the Twin Cities.

SFX: WHOLESYMER CHATTING

At a house nearby, Bob Wholesymer and his wife take a break from the clean-up. They've located their lawn chairs, and under the bright sunshine, for which they are very thankful, contemplate the events of the past few weeks. Wholesymer says it's been rough, but compared to the fate of people in Grand Forks and other Red River Valley locations, it's literally a drop in the bucket.

I DIDN'T THINK THE CLEANUP WOULD BE THAT HARD. I REALLY DIDN'T. I NEVER EXPECTED THAT MUCH WORK. BUT, THOSE PEOPLE UP THERE. THE WHOLE CITY. WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITHOUT THE HELP. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A TOUGH TIME.

There will be long days ahead for people still flooded out of their homes and businesses. But as it's being proved in Montevideo, Granite Falls and elsewhere, a little help goes a long way.

Return to Flood of 1997.