The emails continue during the flood of 1997
Subject: Day 14 and still holding
Hello everyone, the water has gone down about 3 1/4 inches, still a long way to go.
Still pumping, the sump pump is still keeping up but we have a plan to add another pump soon, it is pumping alot of water every 35 seconds, Gene times it several times a day.
Sounds like the President will tour Grand Forks tomorrow all 50,000 residents have been evacuated. Dick’s Store ( Radio Shack) has water inside, the hospital where Trica works was totally evacuated. Trica and Dick let friends stay at their apartment in Buxton ND and they are now safely in Park Rapids with Dick’s parents. It is total devastation up there in Grand Forks. (A large area of downtown Grand Forks started on fire.)
At least here near Fargo we only have water to contend with.
We are getting really tired. Dad was here so we could sleep last night, he also brought us a larger boat one we can use in the rough water.
Moses came home also, he seems confused with all the water and little grass. Captain and Mate went back home with Mom and Dad for a few more days.
We got to see Savannah for a few minutes Sunday afternoon, she has a cold, getting more teeth I think, she has crawling down to a fine FAST art now and is pulling herself up on furniture. She was nine months old last week, time sure flys.
Jennifer is safe in Bemidji, no flooding there Thank goodness!
Gene is asleep now, I am headed for a long night, thanks for all your messages of encouragement.
Love Gene and Connie
*****
Moses in front, Captain on the boat seat and G’Day Mate behind Captain.
Boat People! The bigger boat made for safer travel
the view from the deck…sometime along the way the outlet for the sump pump was put into pvc pipe with some supports to keep the pipe in place…when doing rounds you had to step over it. The boat is docked next to the sand bags.
The dogs fenced in area is still mostly water
The current opened the garden shed door.
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It was about this time that everyone encouraged me to go into town with my Mom and have lunch. I had not been out since the day we filed as disaster victims.
I was so used to water everywhere that I got dizzy because nothing was moving in town…I was the opposite of sea sick…I suppose you have to call it land sick. I was happy to get back to our island home and all the water.
During the flood we received a couple of jugs of water, a bucket, a mop and a squeege to help with clean up from the Red Cross. The items were dropped of at “The Landing.” No sandwitches…or coffee… or anyone from the Red Cross asking what we needed. From that point on I decided that I would never donate to the Red Cross ever again.
Links to other blog posts about the flood of 1997
I never heard of being land sick before. But it makes sense when I think about it, getting accustomed to all that water and then it's gone. Love that picture of the three dogs in the boat. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a marathon of tension! It's hard to believe what you went through.
ReplyDeleteLove the pic of your visiting pooches! They must have thought the world had gone crazy, too. But as long as owners (pack leaders) are okay they figure things will be okay.
ReplyDeleteThat's no help at all from the Red Cross. I am surprised. I remember the National Guard helping to patrol dikes in town, though, and hauling in all kinds of dike materials before that.
You can't forget the pictures of Grand Forks underwater with just tops of some buildings showing--and a couple of them on fire--like islands of fire in all that water. What a time!
oh wow yall sure were flooded! Glad its just a memory now....
ReplyDeleteIt is just so hard to imagine going through all that...water everywhere. You must have been so sick of it all. That is terrible that the Red Cross didn't even ask if you needed anything. The dogs are so pretty. What a sad scary time.
ReplyDeleteI am with you about the red cross....my Dad complained about them during WWII and they never showed up here during our ice storm (after or during) to help anyone and people died here! They also were found to be corrupt several years back but the news always supports them and tells people to donate. I can understand why you must have felt 'land sick' after all that time on the water. So glad you had friends and family....I was alone during the ice storm days and I have to admit...I was pretty cold but the girls and I survived. I am better prepared now and I don't have 'green' wood. That was a truly terrible event you went through! So glad you survived it!
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