Minnesota is seeking federal disaster aid for 13 northwestern counties. In Roseau, floodwaters are starting to slowly fall, and people are beginning to contemplate the damage.

	A 4-foot clay dike kept the river away from Polaris, a maker of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. Residents also put sandbags around the company's buildings, along with the town's hospital and school. See an extensive collection of images. (MPR Photo/Tom Robertson)

The Salvation Army canteen at Roseau Community Church is one of the busiest places in town. Divisional Disaster Services Director Chrissy Morrison says the Salvation Army is handing out about 25-hundred meals a day to flood fighters.

"Most of the workers are people that live here, that have lost their homes. They're out there with high spirits helping others. When things start settling down, that's when reality will set in," says Morrison.

Reality has already set in for some of the people who were evacuated.

About 50 elderly residents spent a night on Red Cross cots at the school in nearby Badger. Some were having a hard time understanding the situation says Badger Superintendent Gwen Borgen.

"They realized they were out of their homes and they would ask are we going back to Roseau tomorrow? Or they would ask about their possessions and their things," says Borgen. "It's tough when you're elderly and dependent on other people."

Elderly residents have all been moved to nursing homes in nearby towns, according to Borgen.

Many people forced out of their homes are staying with friends or relatives. A couple dozen are staying at a shelter in Badger.

Sandy Wyland is feeding them.

She runs the Twin's Corner Cafe with her sister. It's been a busy few days. Everyone is sharing the same emotions. She says some people are kind of sad.

"Some are upset but I guess all in all they're pretty good. They're handling everything okay I think."

Wyland says it helps to have a good meal and some friendly company.

Some people are worried about how long it will take to get back in their homes, and where they'll live in the meantime.

About half of Roseau's three-thousand residents were forced to evacuate.

Housing is an immediate critical need according to Roseau County Commissioner Orris Rasmussen. He's hopeful FEMA will set up a mobile home park in Roseau.

"Cleanup of homes and businesses may take awhile," he says. "Many homes are contaminated by raw sewage."

Roseau is hardest hit, but Rasmussen feels the entire county took a knockout punch. Most roads and bridges are damaged, he says, and 90 percent of farm crops are destroyed.

He spent Thursday trying to drive around the county to see the destruction first hand.

"It's pretty frustrating."

He pauses for a long moment to gather himself.

"It's tough to comprehend. Put it that way. To realize people have to go through this is pretty hard to understand."

Rasmussen is very concerned about how residents will respond in the next few days as the reality of the situation begins to sink in.

"I'm starting to realize in the last two days, especially when I woke up in the night and started thinking about it. We've got a long row to hoe before we get out of this one," says Rasmussen. "I just hope Roseau county can survive."

The water in Roseau is not expected to fall below the dikes until sometime this weekend.

State and local officials say it's too soon to put a dollar figure on the damage.

The state is asking federal officials to expedite disaster assistance for Roseau, Becker, Beltrami, Clay, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, and Red Lake counties.

Farmers survey crop damage