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In a modern city, power is the lifeblood of existence. But even before the flooding began, some 96,000 homes and businesses in the Valley lost electricity when an early April storm downed thousands of power lines. Lost power meant flooded basements in many homes. After the flood, work crews replacing poles and lines became a common sight in the Valley.
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Flood waters hampered the work of company crews seeking to shut down water mains and electrical lines in Grand Forks. Photo courtesy of Northern States Power.
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Downed power and telephone lines kept repair crews busy -- first in the
cold and sub-zero wind-chill of March and early April, later in the heat of May and
June.
Photo courtesy of Red River Valley Co-operative Power Association.
| Vice President Announces $2.2 Million
FEMA Grant for Grand Forks Water Treatment Plant WASHINGTON (February 24, 1998) - The Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a grant worth more than $2.2 million in federal funds for construction upgrades that will protect the water treatment plant in Grand Forks, ND, from future flood disasters, Vice President Gore announced today. "President Clinton and I are committed to ensuring that the families of Grand Forks do not have their critical water supplies shut off in the event of another catastrophic flood," the Vice President said. "Working together at the federal, state and local level, we will help all the families of North Dakota recover from last year's devastating disaster." The funding, totaling $2,245,512, represents the 90 percent federal share of $2,495,013 in approved project costs. The funds were authorized under President Clinton's major disaster declaration issued on April 7, 1997, and made available through FEMA's assistance program for state and local governments. According to the agency, the mitigation work is designed to protect the plant from a flood that exceeds the record flooding that struck the city last spring. The project will include flood-proofing work, elevation of monitoring devices and upgrades to basement equipment. Completion of the project should enable the facility to operate independently for a period of up to two weeks during a major flooding event. Emergency supplies and fuel can be stored on site if floodwaters rise to a predetermined level. The plant, which sustained more than $4.5 million in damage from last year's floods, is the city's main source of drinking water. Loss of the facility also affects other critical functions, such as the local hospital and the city's ability to fight fires. |
Federal assistance permitted some communities to better protect water facilities against future flooding. Shown above is the FEMA news release announcing a grant to Grand Forks for upgrading its water treatment plant.
"We chlorinated it several times; but that didn't do it. Then we had professionals come out and clean the well, replace the pipes, screen, and everything, which was quite costly. That didn't do it, either. Finally, a person from the U.S. Public health looked at it and he found that the pipes that came into the house, up to the pressure tank, had been flooded and were filled with silt. So we were recontaminating the water as it came into the house. So we flushed out the pressure tank and finally got it clean." Jon Evert, Clay County, on decontaminating his well. The Everts relied on water from family and neighbors for several weeks following the flood. |
