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Dear friends in Christ,

Many of you are watching and waiting to see what will happen in the upper
Midwest, as the Red River rises, snow melts, sandbags are filled, and rain
is forecast.

I have been in steady contact throughout this day with the five ELCA Synod
offices and three social agencies located in eastern North Dakota,
southwestern Minnesota, and northeast South Dakota.  Staff members there
are in contact with pastors and community members, and many have taken a
first-hand look at the situation.  The reports I am receiving generally are
the same:

>  There has been no major flooding to this point, nor is anything similar
to the 1997 floods anticipated.  Some city streets, county roads, and state
highways are closed because of flooding or work on dikes, and there is some
overland flooding.

>  The Red River is projected to crest Thursday or Friday in the Fargo area
at 36 feet.  The dike capacity is 40 feet.

>  The Red River is projected to crest on April 18th or 19th in the Grand
Forks area at 46 to 48.8 feet.  The dike capacity is being shored up to 54
feet.

>  Ice in ditches and rivers complicates the situation, as does
still-frozen ground.

>  Levies, earth dikes, and sandbags have the river waters contained.
Local volunteers continue to fill and place sandbags in all three states.

>  Water levels in the Wahpeton-Breckenridge area are receding, and present
precautions should be sufficient to protect the towns.

>  In South Dakota there is considerable snowmelt, and the water levels are
high (especially in the Watertown area).

>  As people remember the 1997 floods and experience the present rising
waters, they are experiencing enormous emotional and spiritual stress.

>  There is "cautious optimism" - based on past experiences and present
preparations - that there will be no widespread flood disaster.  Many of
the low-lying houses flooded in 1997 have been moved or were not rebuilt.
There are better drains, ditches, levees, and dikes in place.

>  An editorial in the "Grand Forks Herald" written by Tom Downs, advises
readers "Don't panic but at the same time, don't get caught unprepared, in
the event of a (still unlikely) flood."  Residents of the Red River Valley
are urged to be prudent.  The odds are good that there won't be major
flooding, but people must take necessary steps "just in cast."

>  Generally throughout the three-state region there are preparations for
worst-case scenarios and high hopes for the best.

Please maintain your fervent prayers of support!  As we move through this
Holy Week, we watch and wait with our sisters and brothers in the upper
Midwest.  And ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, through Lutheran Disaster
Response (the cooperative ministry of the ELCA and The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod) stands ready to offer support and assistance in
these tense moments, and help and hope if a disaster response is needed.

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Tue, Apr 10, 2001, at  3:42 pm).  Director for
  ELCA DOMESTIC DISASTER RESPONSE (Division for Church in Society) and
  LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE (a cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LC-MS)
  8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631  PHONE: 773-380-2822 FAX: 773-380-2493
Please visit our website:  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster