Week 10 Blog

There is a country song that goes “Here he comes again …” That song could be sung by those around the Sheyenne River Valley with “He” being rising water. The specific story I’m referring to was in the Valley City Times Record on Friday, March 27. My Blog is late because I spend most of last week fighting those rising waters at my home. I attended the meeting referred to in this article because it directly affects me and my home. The topic was the crest expected in Valley City and how home owners downstream can gage the plans according to what they remember from 1997 or neighbors can tell for those who were not there 12 years ago.

The article indicates that there were “maps of the Kathryn Road showing the 100-Year flood plain”, indicates that there are people who can help and who to call if needed, reports on getting sand and sandbags delivered to rural areas, and the amount of water that will be coming out of Baldhill Dam north of Valley City. It was good information but only raised more questions.
The meeting was relatively calm compared to the meeting held earlier in the week with towns people. Some were upset about their sprinkler system being destroyed by trucks hauling dirt for a dyke. If wish someone would destroy something putting a dyke by my house. On Tuesday night, March 24, water from the beautiful Sheyenne River was about 4 yards from my door – about 2.5 feet higher than in 1997.

On the positive side, everyone I know has offered help for us and others up and down the valley as well as in Valley City. This same issue of the TR has a story about people giving of their time to sandbag. Our phone rings constantly with offers of manpower, generators, trucks, and a place to stay if we have to evacuate. We truly do live in an area of generous people. Doesn’t save me house, but it does save my belief that tragedy brings us together.