Dear friends in Christ,

I have just received an updated report about the northern Minnesota
flooding from Melanie Josephson, the Lutheran Disaster Response Coordinator
for Minnesota.  I am forwarding it to you in its entirety, because she has
captured the nature of this disastrous flood as well as a sense of the
initial LDR responses.

<<<<<<<  Melanie Josephson Report  >>>>>>

Northwest Minnesota Flooding Update
June 30, 2002

It has been almost three weeks since the first of the flooding occurred in
Northwest Minnesota.  Roseau, Minnesota is a small isolated town of 2755
residents just miles from the Canadian border.  Six hours from
Minneapolis/St. Paul and often feeling forgotten, Roseau is typically known
(in Minnesota) for its outstanding hockey program and for being the home of
snowmobile manufacturer Polaris.  Three weeks ago this small town was
turned upside down as over ten inches of rain fell in 24 hours. Rivers
swelled and flooding moved overland, consuming many homes and businesses
despite heroic sandbagging efforts.  Flooding occurred first in the small
town of Warroad, 20 miles east of Roseau, damaging homes and destroying
newly planted crops.  As the waters moved in a northwest direction they
surrounded hundreds of farmsteads and affected 95 percent of the town of
Roseau.

On Thursday, Ward Anderson, Roseau Chief of Police, took me for a tour
through some of the most damaged areas of town where many homes were
destroyed.  As we looked up and down the streets, we saw the flood damaged
contents of homes piled high at the curbs.   Crusted mud covered the
streets and lawns - there were few safe places for children to play.
Despite the ill appearance of the town, the piles were really hopeful signs
toward recovery.

We stopped to see Bob and Helen Bergland, both in their seventies and
active members of Moe Lutheran Church, which also had a flooded basement
and parsonage.  (Bob was the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under
President Jimmy Carter).  As Bob showed us into his home where the first
floor sheet rock was cut away two feet high and the floor coverings were
removed, he told me the story of how the overland flooding had smashed
through one of the walls of there furnished basement - moving with such
force that the basement supports were knocked out.  Water completely filled
the basement and began to enter the main floor.  When he was able to return
to the house Bob saw the basement ceiling beginning to sag and feared that
the weight would cause the other walls to collapse, which would destroy
their home.  Like most folks, Bob and Helen did not have flood insurance
because they were not in the flood plain.  As the water was slowly pumped
from the basement, Bob waded in waist high to replace supports.  He looked
me in the eye and told me, "The volunteers saved our home."  Bob went on to
say how incredibly thankful he and Helen were for the group of 22
volunteers (Baptists, Lutherans, Mennonites and others) who carried an
estimated 3000 five-gallon bucket loads of mud and sheet rock up from the
basement.  "There is no way we could have done this ourselves - and you can
quote me on that", he said.  "Thank you!"

The waters which had receded from the town of Roseau by June 27th, had come
to a standstill forming a lake of water that began two miles north of
Roseau, extended to the Canadian border and was reported to be as wide as
15 miles!  It is slowly receding_ about 6 inches a day_not fast enough for
those who have to boat into their homes and can't begin the clean up
process for another several days. We watched as one family boated to their
front door and sadly tried to salvage things from their water soaked home.
In Ross we saw that Concordia Lutheran Church was ok.  We stopped to talk
to two farmers watching their dikes who said all they could do now was wait
(and fight mosquitoes!).  Their crops were destroyed.  Their homes in Ross
were safe, although they knew that many further north were not.

Roseau and the surrounding area may have been known for hockey and
employers like Polaris and Marvin Windows, but now they will also be known
now as a town that has survived disaster - a town of wonderful people who
have pulled together to make it through these difficult weeks.  They will
also be known as a town that was blessed by the generous support of so many
government, voluntary, and faith agencies and their volunteers.  Lutheran
Disaster Response has been one of those groups, serving as the organizer of
the county's volunteer efforts.  Over 10 LSS/LDR staff (many trained as 1st
Responders) have rotated in from their regular jobs to provide leadership
for the effort.  Numerous other Lutherans have helped in the office and
cleaned out homes.  In addition to Methodist, Baptist, Mennonite, and
Jewish disaster response teams, thus far over 600 volunteers have assisted
in the cleanup efforts, serving over 200 homes.  Polaris (which was saved
through sandbagging efforts) has daily deployed 8 fully equipped crews to
assist in the efforts.  Marvin Windows has been granting plane rides on
their jet between St. Paul and Warroad making it economical for LSS/LDR
support to come from other parts of the state.  Salvation Army and Red
Cross have been feeding volunteers.

Although the first wave of groups has come and gone, LSS/LDR remains,
transitioning to assist with long-term recovery efforts.  Bishop Rolf
Wangberg and his staff continue to be active and supportive as five
Lutheran churches begin to repair buildings and/or parsonages.  Intentional
interim Pastor Cheryl Berg will be the local leader of the LSS/LDR effort
over the next several weeks, documenting needs, coordinating resources and
assisting in the formation of an Interfaith.  Small groups of volunteers
will still be needed for the next few weeks to assist with clean-up
efforts.  Our hope is that skilled volunteer labor can be offered in the
fall/winter to begin to help people rebuild.  To find out how you can help,
please call 218-463-3373.

Northwest Minnesota often feels forgotten, but thanks to the generous
support of Lutheran Disaster Response (a joint ministry of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in American and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod) and
their initial $10,000 grant, hundreds of Lutheran volunteers and Lutheran
Social Service staff have been able to be present in NW Minnesota (often as
a catalyst) to bring help and hope to those in need.  On behalf of Bob and
Helen and so many others like them, thank you for your generous support.
We pray that we can continue to journey with these who have been affected
as they walk the road to recovery over the next several months.

Melanie Josephson
Director, Disaster Services
LSS-Minnesota

<<<<<<<<  End of Melanie Josephson Report  >>>>>>>>

To enable the church to continue its response, please send your
contributions to:

    ELCA DOMESTIC Disaster Response - "Northern Minnesota Floods"
    PO Box 71764
    Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764

        Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
        Credit card gifts via the web: www.elca.org/disaster

    LC-MS World Relief -"Northern Minnesota Floods"
    P.O. Box 66861
    St. Louis, MO 63166-9810

        Credit card gift line: 1-888-930-4438

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Tue, Jul  2, 2002, at  2:41 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 new website:  www.ldr.org