We need your prayers...

[mechmagcn]

I understand your pain and suffering, I have a place on a local river and have to deal with the yearly flooding. I pray that you and the folks around you escape total devestation from these floods.

[dakotamouse]

We certainly will be praying Bismarck/Mandan can hold on. What is disconcerting is the this will go on for weeks before it gets better. My Sis in Nebraska is already having problems with the Missouri and all this Northern Plains water has to go her way. Over on this side of the state we remember you helping us with our flooding. Good thought sent your way.

This is going to be a huge national problem as the water goes on down the line. I'll keep your sister in my prayers.

[CAJUN LADY]

Mary, y'all are in my prayers. I don't know first hand what you are going through but I know what my friends and family are going through in Louisiana with the rising Mississippi. I pray you, your family and community can make it through this without harm.

[dakotamouse]

So far Myron and I are OK. But the river is over it's banks ( but inside the levees) a mile to the south and about a 3/4 to the west of us. We have two sides to worry about.

On today's news they showed the first, hopefully last, house to completely be lost to the river.

http://www.kfyrtv.com/Video_News.asp?news=50255

The National Guard has done an amazing job here in Bismarck, constructing the levees. They were able to use existing roads as the base for the levees because they are already elevated. But they can't dike the whole river on this short notice. Myron and I are blessed to be within the protected zone. Last weekend we walked down to the south levee and looked at the destruction.

As we started to walk back a family of seven drove up to the levee dressed in swimsuits, boat shoes and life jackets. They have been evacuated for 2 weeks and were going to check on things. It isn't good.

The whole state is in chaos. Fargo is still under a flood advisory because of the Red River. Devil's Lake is eating up farm land. At noon today 1/4 of the town of Minot was evacuated because the Souris River is flooding. In 1969 they had a record flood that caused mass destruction. After which they built up a levee around the river. The crest of this flood should arrive on Monday and it will be 8 feet higher than '69.

http://www.kfyrtv.com/Video_News.asp?news=50263

The Souris river starts in Canada then loops down into North Dakota and then back up into Canada. Today a group of Canadians came down to help out the people in Minot with sandbagging. Bismarck is stable at the moment and since we made up a surplus of "just in case" sandbags we sent some up to Minot.

People are calling this the bummer summer. You just can't leave your house.........for fear your sump pump will die while you're gone. And even if you did .....where would you go? Most of the campgrounds Myron and I go to are under water and closed. Motels are filled with displaced home owners. Heck, it's too damn cold out there to even think about camping anyhow.....besides it just doesn't stop raining.

The water from the Missouri, we have been told, won't go down in Bismarck till August. God knows how long it will last for the people in the states down south.

A local gal has made a Youtube video and original song about the situation that pretty well sums it all up......only now you can add the Souris River.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjFnX0mC6H8

[dakotamouse]

Well it is day 50 of the flood in Bismarck and so far so good..........but the water isn't going down yet. Despite going from 150 to 140,000 cfs the river remains at 19 ft........flood stage is 16. They say that some of the sand and dirt that was scoured out of the river up stream is now depositing downstream of Bismarck and is keeping the water high. They don't anticipate a significant lowering of the river till after Labor Day in September. There are approximatly 1000 people evacuated from their homes.

The water in Minot is taking it's time about going down too. Some home owners have been allowed to go home. With all of the rain they had, on top of the flood waters, The fair grounds is still under water and the North Dakota State Fair had to be cancelled for the first time in its history. I had tickets to see Toby Keith and later to see Kid Rock.

The Bummer Summer of 2011 continues.

Mary

[PKCSPT]

Hope things ease up soon. Everyone seems to be getting hit with unusually severe weather.