Flood of 2011
Construction on Garrison Dam began in 1947 and President Eisenhower officially dedicated it in 1953. It holds back the waters of the Missouri River which come from Wyoming via the Little Missouri River and Montana via the Yellowstone River. People in Bismarck are learning new abbreviations like "cfs" [cubic feet per second]. Prior to this year, the highest release of water through Garrison Dam occurred in 1975 when the Army Corps of Engineers released 65,200 cfs. In March 2011, the average release was 20,000 cfs.
Things got crazy in May. In one week, eastern Montana received more rain than they typically get all year. The snowmelt from the Rockies was also significantly higher than normal. Runoff from the Little Bighorn mountains in Wyoming was also greater than normal All of this water makes it way into the Garrison Reservoir. Two weeks ago, the Corps was predicting releases of up to 65,000 cfs from the dam. This would have caused some minor flooding in low areas around Bismarck but not affected residences. Currently, the Corps plans to increase those releases to 120,000 cfs by June 2, and 150,000 by mid-June. This must be done, the Corps says, to maintain control of the waters, which are quickly filling up the reservoir.
The City of Bismarck is building a massive dike along the river south of Main Street, then curling east at Solheim Elementary, just across the street from mom's apartment. It is intended to protect residents of the city living in south Bismarck.
Those folks out of city limits, in the Fox Island and Southport areas, are on their own. Pam, Meredith, and I helped some friends in the Fox Island area move stuff out of their basement. By all reports, their house will definitely flood. They are debating whether to fill their basement with water before the Missouri River does in order to equalize the pressure on the basement walls and thereby save their house foundation from collapse.
We took the precaution of moving mom and most of her belongings to our house. If it floods in south Bismarck, experts figure the water would remain in houses for several weeks, long enough to ruin virtually everything inside due to the high humidity and mold. Electronics would corrode. It would be a major catastrophe.
There has been no flooding in Bismarck since 1952 and folks here are a bit overwhelmed by it all. People have been volunteering to help the potential flood victims in both Bismarck and Mandan.
Pam and Meredith at one of the sandbag sites.
Mom wraps cookies Pam made for volunteers and law enforcement officers.
Cookies: M & M or macadamia nut -- take your pick
The Kline family braces for what they hope will never come--a break in the dike.
Derek Kline unloads sandbags in the back yard.
Mere has been working every day sandbagging, and moving personal property. Pam has been pretty tireless, too. Last night, I put hand to shovel filling sandbags. The experts estimate Fargo used about 750,000 sandbags this spring to avoid flooding from the Red River. By comparison, Bismarck and Mandan have already laid out 4 million sandbags and the plan is to use 4 million more.
On a more pleasant note, we attended nephew J. Morgan Legreid's graduation from Shiloh Christian High School on Sunday.
In this blurry shot, J. Morgan is escorted to the stage by Sherry and Brad.
J. Morgan was valedictorian of his class!
In the receiving line outside school