April 10, 2009 From Tully Chambers - District Governor 2008-2009 District 5580 Rotary International

1. This river is strange and I realize that most places are not use to the idea of the second crest.

>>> The river is bouncing around a lot in Fargo. At noon it was 31.68 feet (major flood stage is 30.0 feet). The crest is predicted (now) to be 39.3 feet 07:00 Monday April 17th. <<<

That is below the recent record of 40.6 feet but could still do considerable damage, plus April 17th is a long way out, i.e., ...there is no way to tell whether there will be any significant rain between now and April 17, which this prediction is based on.

The monetary assessment of damages is awaiting this second reiver crest on April 17th.   Thus we can not until after the 17th give you hard numbers.

2. The other issue is the process. "Spirit of Fargo", we have discovered, is looking at infrastructure and at getting commerce back functioning. 

Thus unless this information is incorrect, Rotary will not be involved here.

What is being looked at now (and they have substantive agreement for) is to work parallel to the United Way, to give direct help to people who are falling between the cracks.  In many, if not most, cases this will be in the rural areas.

They are working with United Way to try and come up with some tentative preliminary numbers even before the second crest, although that second crest could really change all paradigms.

There is some rural damage to the south in the Wahpeton-Breckenridge area and north in the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks area and further north of that so those ADG's are involved as well.

The huge problem is the looming second crest (the first crest has not yet reached Pembina at the Canadian border ...it is predicted to be 52.5 feet and arrive at 07:00 hrs Tuesday April 14th.  The second crest will be much later there).

Tully Chambers District Governor 2008-2009 District 5580 Rotary International