Et cetera : NCCC Fights Water with Water: Minot, ND

AmeriCorps NCCC Hillary scoops water in a basement.

By: Phil Schaefer and Gaby Nieves

AmeriCorps NCCC team Maple 4 is currently living and serving in Minot, North Dakota for its fourth project. The team is working with Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) to help repair homes that were flooded this summer. On June 24, the Souris River exceeded record flood levels in Minot, North Dakota. Nearly 11,000 residents were evacuated from the area, and over one fourth of the community was affected by the flood.

The Maple 4 Dinosaurs are doing the final stages of clean up with LDR. This involves power washing the studs, floor joists, and basements of flood affected homes. When the weather becomes too cold the team will then be working on buttoning up the homes. This involves wrapping the house in plastic, sealing windows, and installing installation.

The team has enjoyed getting to meet the homeowners and hear their stories. It’s easy to see the physical damage of the flood but the team didn’t experience the emotional damage until meeting the homeowners.

“It’s good because we get to help out the people who lost they houses,” says Dinosaurs Gregory Day, 20, from Chicago.