May 25

I stopped on my way to Neche yesterday to take this picture. I'm on highway 55 looking west. Still a lot of water out that way.

May 11

Things are slowly returning to normal. Today they opened Highway 55 from Pembina to Neche. No more driving to Neche via Bathgate! This afternoon four men started to take out the dike closure on main street. I ran home to put on my work clothes with good intentions of helping but I barely had time to get my gloves muddy before they were done with the center section. This will make the trip a lot shorter for those who live in So Pembina and the guys going over there almost every day to work on the golf course. The end sections will come out in the next day or two.

May 5

They opened the south end of So Pembina today so I was able to go in and take a few pictures. The river is below 50 ft. today.

Some men are working on the #3 green

Looking down the #1 fairway

The water is so still the trees are reflected on the #9 fairway

The pumps are working on the ball field

Less water every day

May 4

Ten people attended the flood committee this afternoon. Things are looking good. The river is down to 50.27 ft. The dike closures by Haugen's and Chale's are being opened up again. South Pembina is still closed off. A group of men have been going over there to work on washing the silt off the greens at the golf course as the water recedes. The city guys make several trips a day to keep the pumps running over there. They have also removed the piles of sand from the school parking lot. Highway 55 to Neche is still closed.

National Guard

At the flood committee meeting this afternoon we released the National Guard as of 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. We thanked them for all their help and they presented the community a plaque in appreciation of our hospitality. The plaque reads:

FOR YOUR EXCEPTIONAL HOSPITALITY AND GENEROSITY DURING FLOOD OPERATIONS 2011 WE COMMEND YOU!  YOU MADE OUR STAY IN PEMBINA CITY A MEMORABLE AND ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE. THIS COMMUNITY IS ONE TO BE PROUD OF! YOU WELCOMED US INTO YOUR COMMUNITY AND MADE US FEEL RIGHT AT HOME; THE HOME COOKED EASTER MEAL WAS VERY APPRECIATED IN A TIME WHERE WE WERE AWAY FROM OUR FAMILIES. PEMBINA CITY HAS SET THE STANDARD IN DISPLAYING SOLDIER CARE! THANK YOU FROM THE SOLDIERS OF THE 1^ST BATTALION 188^TH AIR DEFENSE.

May 1

Snow....cold.....WINDY! What a way to welcome May. The good news is the river is going down. It was 50.5 ft this morning. We've had a great bunch of National Guardsmen here this year. They've been happy to help wherever we've needed them. I think they've enjoyed their time here too and the meals at the "High Water Cafe". The ladies ever provided a birthday cake for one of the men. Tomorrow they will be released and we'll be back on our own.

Guard at the command center waiting for their turn to walk.
Equipment ready and waiting.

                       

 

Welcome May! 

April 28

Today the river is down to 51.5 ft. The sun is shining, the temperature is 57 degrees. We're hoping we can avoid the rains that are forecast for this weekend. The National Guard is still here walking the dikes at night and the local residents patrol during the day and man the Command Center 24 hrs a day. The High Water Cafe is still operating. When Ken and Greg went over to start the pump in South Pembina this morning Ken took more pictures for me.

Looking south from the dike closure.

Neighbors

Thanks again to the people who send pictures for me to share. I'm not sure who took these but they found their way to me.

??? Hwy 55 or 18 ???

Drayton

Neche

Neche

Pembina

St Vincent, MN

Pembina/Emerson Port of Entry

Pembina

Pembina Airport

April 25

The flood committee met this afternoon. We believe the river has crested here, it has been hovering at about 52 ft for the last 3 days. It looks like the water will stay at this level for several days longer so we need to continue walking the dikes and keeping an eye on things while the water remains against the dike and flood wall.

Highway 18 going into Neche is open again. The elementary students will go back to school there tomorrow but the buses will have to detour through Bathgate since Hwy 55 is still closed.

April 23 p.m.

The Coast Guard and the Pembina Fire Dept. did some training with Air Boats near the airport today. Randy Brintnell took these pictures for us. Thanks.

                                                                                       #4 green

      dike at the south end of S Pembina           Hwy 55 to Neche

       I29 looking south                                Pembina Cemetary

      Haugens boating on the road