'69 Flood - 40 Days of Flooding

40 years ago andamp lt a href andamp quot http www kxnet com t minot-ndandamp quot class andamp quot kxInlineLinkandamp quot andamp gt Minotandamp lt aandamp gt was locked in the grips of a flood unlike anything the city had ever seen All this week we re looking back at the disaster and reliving the moments from the people who were there and experienced the flood of 1969 Here s andamp lt a href andamp quot http www kxnet com t shaun-sipmaandamp quot class andamp quot kxInlineLinkandamp quot andamp gt Shaun Sipmaandamp lt aandamp gt Shaun Sipma KX News The 1969 Flood was unlike anything anyone had ever seen Not because water spilled out of Mouse River and covered the entire andamp lt a href andamp quot http www kxnet com t souris-ndandamp quot class andamp quot kxInlineLinkandamp quot andamp gt Sourisandamp lt aandamp gt River Valley but because the flood water stayed for so long Doroles Haaland Wife of former Ward Co Sheriff andamp quot It looked like the Mississippi it was huge even if it wasn t real deep it still looked like there was water there andamp quot April 20th 1969 - it was now 12 days after the Mouse left its banks and now the entire valley was in the grip flood water In higher areas it was the basements that were filled to the brim Lester Tandberg Lived in 69 Flood Area andamp quot The water came within about 8 inches of the floor joyces and that s as high as it came andamp quot Roald Mattson Lived in 69 Flood Area We sandbagged the outside but it didn t do much good andamp quot We had motor boats and we parked them right in our front yard andamp quot Other areas in the valley lower areas weren t as lucky Hardy Lieberg Lived in 69 Flood Area andamp quot It ended up on the main floor equal to the height of the bath tubs there was water in the bath tubs It was up about three feet on the main floor andamp quot Daryl Kramer Live in 69 Flood Area The water came up edit right to the top of the fireplace andamp quot And at lest one house suffered the ultimate destruction on 4th Avenue southeast Doroles Haaland Wife of former Ward Co Sheriff andamp quot That gas wasn t shut off andamp quot Donna Hrichena s family had already been evacuated their house was right next door Donna Hrichena Lived in 69 Flood Area andamp quot They said the roof went and there was nothing left but the foundation in the ground andamp quot All the fire department could do was boat to the scene and make sure the fire didn t spread to other houses With the city cut in half emergency services were also feeling the strain from the flooding The police fire and medical services were all located on south hill and the only access to North Hill was the raised dike on broadway Doroles Haaland Wife of Former Ward Co Sheriff andamp quot Hospitals they used boats to get their people back and forth to work that lived on the other side andamp quot Miraculously everyone in Minot was able to escape the flood water However one rancher northwest of town was caught in the high water Doroles Haaland Wife of Former Ward Co Sheriff andamp quot The Sheriff s office got called out to other things like the man that was going to get his cattle in and his horse stumbled on something and he drowned by Foxholm andamp quot The entire Souris Valley was under siege by the Mouse In all nearly 3 thousand houses and apartments six schools 15 churches 210 business and three parks including andamp lt a href andamp quot http www kxnet com t roosevelt-park-zooandamp quot class andamp quot kxInlineLinkandamp quot andamp gt Roosevelt Park Zooandamp lt aandamp gt in Minot were caught in the flood water Lois Tandberg Lived in the 69 Flood Area andamp quot I was working at riverside motel at the time and of course that had closed too so I was done working then andamp quot Bob Scandamp lt a href andamp quot http www kxnet com t hempandamp quot class andamp quot kxInlineLinkandamp quot andamp gt hempandamp lt aandamp gt p City Employee 69 andamp quot Our park system basically in the flood plain The stat fair ground was part of the flood plain So a bunch of our public facilities were severely affected by the flood andamp quot The high water had arrived and much of it stayed The river had claimed much of Minot as its home and wouldn t be evicted until well into May So where do 12 000 people go when they re forced from their homes We ll take a look at the high water migration out of the Souris Valley tomorrow Shaun Sipma KX News You can take part in the 40th Anniversary of the 1969 Mouse River Disaster by going online at www kxnet com and clicking on the 69 Flood link There you can view our stories and write your own experience and even upload pictures