YEAR AGO: Sirens Wail - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

YEAR AGO: Sirens Wail

One year ago today, the Mouse River flood of 2011 hit in full force.
It was this day, June 22nd, that we learned just how high the water was now expected to get in the city of Minot.

(Curt Zimbelman, Minot Mayor) "We are already higher than the historic flood of 1969 and based on current predictions we will crest seven feet higher than we did in 1969 and about five feet higher than ever recorded going back to the flood of 1881."

With that, thousands of people realized their homes would be several feet under water.
We demonstrated just how high the water would be going by showing a small plaque on a light pole in northwest Minot that marked the high point of 1969.  
Now, people were preparing for six or seven feet above that mark.
They were preparing by rushing to get what they could out of their homes, even as the Mouse River pushed toward the tops of the levees.
And then, at 12:57 on June 22nd, 2011, the civil defense sirens sounded - telling everyone what this National Guard soldier was relaying to residents - it was time to end the moving process and get out of the valley before the water came rushing in.

"I just got confirmation that they're going to sound the alarm in about 15 minutes so wrap up your things as soon as possible.  It's not a drill.  Thank you."

The evacuation meant thousands of people had to find places to live.
And it meant the Red Cross opened shelters to provide a place for people with no other options.
But it seemed most did have other options - only a few hundred of the 12,000 evacuees ended up using the shelters.