FEMA Looks Back on the Year - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

FEMA Looks Back on the Year

The Mouse River valley was one of 99 federally declared disasters in 2011.
The Presidential Disaster Declaration for North Dakota was made in April of 2011, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been present in the state ever since.

FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Deanne Criswell revisited the community for last weekend's Summer of Hope celebration.
It was the first time Criswell had been in the Mouse River valley since last summer and she says it was encouraging to see the yellow, "I'm Coming Back," signs posted in flooded yards.

(Deanne Criswell, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer) "I still see debris again out in the streets and it almost looks like a disaster has just happened again, but this time it's actually a positive sign because that debris means people are rebuilding their homes and that is encouraging."

Criswell also says that the recovery process is far from over.
The Mouse River flood displaced 25 percent of the population of Minot.
Criswell says the number of people impacted placed North Dakota in the top ten disasters of 2011, as far as being most costly.
FEMA's 18 month temporary housing program will end for the Mouse River valley in December.

(Deanne Criswell, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer) "We will continue to work with each family and find them a permanent housing solution. We won't leave anyone homeless." >>

There are 1300 occupied FEMA trailers still in the area, down from nearly 2400 after the flood.
Criswell says as people are able to find permanent housing solutions, the group sites will be narrowed down to the site on 55th street.