Minot Down Under: A Pictorial of the Great Souris River Flood of 2011

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Although the Souris River Basin and the North Dakota cities of
Minot, Burlington, Sawyer and Velva that are located in this basin
have been hit with devastating spring flooding in the past, in late
June and early July of 2011, they were hit with the most devastating
flood ever. When the 2011 floodwaters receded Velva and Sawyer had
been largely spared, but Burlington and Minot homes and property
in the flood plain were largely destroyed. In Minot, a town of under
50,000 people, over 4000 homes were flooded, some to the extent they
could never be repaired. Our city’s infrastructure was shattered, with
sewer and water services disrupted for weeks. Streets were destroyed,
bridges damaged, farmlands and parks flooded, schools and countless
buildings damaged beyond repair.

As is usual for the citizens of North Dakota, everyone pitched in to
fight the flood. Whether it was throwing sandbags, helping friends
and relatives, or even total strangers move belongings to higher
ground; virtually everyone was involved and working literally around
the clock, to mitigate damage as much as possible.

Now, after the flood, the same people are helping to rebuild our
shattered city and surrounding area. It is a community coming and
working together to an extent that makes us all proud. However, in
the background of virtually every flood discussion is the nagging
question. Could this flood have been better controlled? I guess time
will tell.

Many pictures have been taken of the activities on the ground. However,
seen from the air the Souris River flood plain and the cities
of Burlington, and Minot can be seen as the waters came on them:
first to be controlled by miles of dikes, then to be engulfed and overwhelmed
by the uncontrollable and historic rise of the raging waters.