Reflecting on Fox Island Flooding
|  Video
|
| Kevin Gribble |
| 6/3/2009 |
 |
| For much of North Dakota, the flood fight is finally over, but Burleigh County is already looking ahead and preparing for next time. The elevation considered safe to build at Fox Island rose 8/10 of a foot from 1985 to 2005 and is continuing to go up. So that`s the area officials focused on improving the most at Wednesday`s informational meeting. Less than three months ago, the Missouri River poured into south Bismarck. Evacuations were ordered, water flows from the Garrison Dam were stopped, an ice jam was blown up, and finally, the river went down. But dealing with all that was only half the work for Burleigh County officials. "You really have to go back and look at what went good, what went poorly, and more importantly how do you make it better for the next time," explains Burleigh County emergency manager Mary Senger. The focus is on Fox Island, a popular, growing and vulnerable low-lying area. Since residents can`t be forced to move somewhere else, the area needs to be made as safe as possible. "The fact is we do live in a free country, and it is private property, and you are allowed to develop it if you follow the rules," notes Burleigh County commissioner Mark Armstrong. Damage to homes at Fox Island was minimal since they were built above the base flood elevation, but that minimum elevation may have to be increased as the river changes. Many roads were under water. In the future, it`s possible that several, including Larson, Tavis, and Mills, will be raised. More drainage areas and culverts are also recommended. Armstrong says, "This is the first time we`ve had a flood event like this. So you have to kind of weigh the cost/benefit analysis of doing any of these kinds of things." They`re just ideas, but as the delta to the south continues to fill in, preventative measures will have to rise to counter the growing flood threat. Officials also learned that several culverts and drainage areas were blocked by landowners who made ill-advised changes to their property. The county plans to take any relevant data from the meeting and educate the people of Fox Island to prevent problems during future flooding. |
© 2009 KMOT-TV
Home | News | Weather | Sports | Webcast | Morning News | Programming | Primetime Rewind | Advertising & Sales | About Us
Community Connection | Movies | Contests & Promotions | Search | Links | Contact Us | Site Map | Follow us on: Facebook
Sister Stations: KFYR TV in Bismarck, KUMV in Williston, KQCD in Dickinson
