Disaster Recovery News

As the Red River’s water levels begin to recede, residents of Fargo, North Dakota prepare to clean-up their communities and being the recovery process.

First, bags of sand and clay in the metro area will be removed next week. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be in charge of the clean-up efforts and will be focusing on the arterial streets first. They will remove dikes that were built in the city and then move into the neighborhoods to do the same. After, crews will continue their clean-up efforts in neighborhoods that did not have dikes built. This process will continue ’round the clock, 24 hours a day, until all the dikes are removed.

Even though it only took about nine days to put up the sandbags and clay, it could take up to 2-3 weeks to remove them. Students from the local college and the Fargo School District will be contracted to help with the clean-up efforts.

More on the Fargo clean-up efforts.

Flooding is one of the most common natural disasters in the United States. When cleaning up after a flood, one does not have to throw away flood damaged documents, wet photos, or books.  Document restoration can help salvage these items and the same company that provides this type of service most likely will also be able to dry and restore other types of items damaged by flood waters.

Learn more about recovering after a flood.

The states of Minnesota and North Dakota are seeking volunteers, reports the New York Times, as the Red River continues to rise past flood stage.

The river is already 18 feet above flood-stage in North Dakota and is expected to rise above 40-feet past flood stage by the end of the week. Officials are expected to need 1.9 million sandbags to aid with flood damage prevention. The San Francisco Gate reports:

“Gov. John Hoeven issued a statewide disaster declaration to help activate state resources and pave the way for federal aid. He said he has asked for help from the Army Corps of Engineers.

…Tuesday’s blizzard and above-average snowfall over the winter has set the stage for the flooding.

…Cities along the river already have declared flood emergencies to free up resources for flood fighting. Fargo has been planning a dike to protect City Hall and has ordered pumps to shore up low-lying areas.”

A flood planning meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 23, 2009 at 8:00 am at Fargo City Hall Commission Chambers. Visit the City of Fargo website for more information. The site also features the latest information about the latest flooding.

Learn about recovering from a flood. Find out how one can effectively restore wet property, prevent mold damage, and dry wet documents.

Before the worst happens in a flood, families should prepare emergency disaster plans and kits. Kits should include food, water, a flashlight, batteries, a list of important phone number, etc. It is also recommended that each vehicle have an emergency kit in it at all times as well. Read more.