If you haven't heard, which would be almost impressive at this point, Bismarck (along with numerous other cities and states) is at an all time record flood stage. I tried my best to take pictures of the panic and devestation this small city is up against but they really do it no justice at all.
For reference, this is a small park on the Missouri river. This boat is now completely surrounded by water and if you look, you can see the TOPS of the trees in the water.
This is what much of the city looks like. Homes with moving trucks moving everything out down to the furnace, sand bags and destroyed grass from all the traffic. No children out playing or riding bikes because they also know the seriousness of the situation and are working along side the adults to save their homes.
This is what thousands of volunteers are doing at one of the MANY sand bagging locations. They say we already have over 4 million sand bags here and will be at 8 million when the town is secure. That doesn't include the massive amounts of dirt that have been trucked in to build dikes all around the town.
The rest rooms at a local park. I read that every tree or shrub under water will most likely die as well. That means that this mature shaded park will changed when the water finally decides to leave.
This playground hasn't seen a child all summer and was one of the first places to be flooded. Now, this play structure is almost completely covered. Now you can only see about the final foot of it above water. There, of course, have been the good things. People helping one another and coming together, the united front of a city that feels under attack, a rush of gratitude for having time to save what they could, and the all too often needed reminder of what is truly important.
The river beds are forever changed along with the people but it has, once again, shown me the strength of people and the generosity of strangers. North Dakota continues to amaze us even in their darkest hours. Please keep this community and everyone in it in your prayers and thoughts as they wait out the flood.
