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Government Response to Flooding
Posted 4/7/09
By The BMYP Government Affairs Task Force

Local Response
Mayors and other city officials, law enforcement, and other city government workers have been working to mitigate the flooding. In Bismarck this included initiating evacuation orders for Fox Island and Southport, coordination sandbagging operations, building berms and dikes, blocking storm drains to prevent water backups, and establishing an emergency shelter. They also held news conferences throughout the day to keep citizens informed on the conditions. Local governments are also consulted and are involved in other activities being conducted by state and federal agencies.

State Response
The Governor, the ND National Guard, the Department of Emergency Services, the State Water Commission, and the Department of Health have all been involved in the state’s response to the flooding.

The Governor has been personally involved in fighting the flooding by coordinating the state’s efforts and requesting Federal assistance. He has been on the scene in the flooded areas including Bismarck earlier in the week and he’s currently in Fargo monitoring the situation on the Red River. In Bismarck, the Governor was involved in the effort to breakup the ice jam including sending a plane to fly an ice jam specialist up from Omaha, asking the Department of Emergency Services to retain Advanced Explosives Demolition (AED) to use controlled explosives to breakup the ice jam, and accompanying AED in an aerial evaluation of the ice jam. The Governor has also used his authority to waive the “blue law” in order to allow stores to stay open Sunday morning to sell flood relief equipment; to allow nursing homes and hospitals to relocated residents; to allow other states to send nurses, doctors, and other emergency personnel into North Dakota to practice; and to waive the hours of services for commercial trucks delivering supplies and people for flood relief.

The Department of Emergency Services is coordinating the statewide flood mitigation and response activities and has activated the State Emergency Operation Center. The State Water Commission provides data to decision makers and is advising on ice jam management. The Department of Health has transported vulnerable individuals from Fargo to Bismarck and arranged volunteer medical staff to assist patients.

As I write this, there are more than 2,400 Guardsmen helping to combat the flood in the Red River and throughout the state. They have assisted in evacuations (including rescuing people by helicopter), sandbagging operations, monitoring dikes, manning and maintaining pumps, manning traffic control points, providing security, and assisting with the ice jam blasts that were conducted on the Missouri River near Bismarck. Updates on the North Dakota National Guard’s activities can be found on their Twitter page at http://twitter.com/ndnationalguard.

After the flooding subsides, additional state entities will also be involved in the recovery.

Federal Response
President Obama has granted a federal disaster declaration for North Dakota. This declaration will allow the Federal government to pay for 75% of the cost of local and state flood relief efforts. The North Dakota congressional delegation has met with the President and has been in the region to monitor the flooding and assist in flood relief efforts.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are coordinating the federal response and are working with state and local officials.

The Army Corps of Engineer assisted in the Missouri River flooding by cutting off the flow from the Garrison Dam and sending an ice jam specialist to Bismarck to help break the jam. They are also assisting in the emergency construction of levees along the Red River.

Nongovernment Response
In addition to the government, there has been an outpouring of assistance from the general public as well as nonprofit organizations such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and local churches. Thousands of volunteers have shown up at sandbagging sights across the state including young professionals and college students. Others have helped neighbors move their belongings and building protective walls around their homes. Still others have provided meals and a place to stay. The community response has been heartening and has demonstrated one of the reasons why I love to call North Dakota home.