Even more floodwater pictures from Jamestown

Each time I go for a run, I bring my camera, and lately I've been heading towards a park. The flood waters have all been diverted into the amazing parks here. Make sure to check out my past few posts for more pictures of the flood waters. The city has done a great job of diverting the dangerous waters and keeping it out of the city streets.

Right now the city is under a water conservation advisory. The sewage systems are overloaded, and in jeopardy of failing. Valley City only a few miles from here, had a sewage break and 400 port-o-poties were put on corners of residential streets and people had to go outside and down the street to go to the bathroom. Not long after that, they evacuated the city. Things are better now, but if Jamestown's sewage system failed, a similar problem would occur.

Enjoy these pictures. It is very surreal, since this is McElroy Park and is never holding water like this. Its a great big park with lots of grass and space, which is now a mini lake.

More flood photos

Jamestown, North Dakota. Flood of 2009.

click images to enlarge. descriptions below each photo.
Nickeus Park bridge. One of my favorite parks. The walking entrance bridge is flooded over. It may not seem that impressive, except normally you'd have to jump ten feet down of the bridge to cannonball into the water.
Here is a sample of the catwalks that have been built these past few weeks. The houses on the left are considered potential floods, however they also have built leveys and dams on the othersides of the houses which actually touch the river.
Here is a sample of the ones that surround the houses. If you look close you can see a hose from a sumpump that is pumping water out of this person's basement. Nearly all houses boarding the river have hoses pumping out flood water from their house. 
Anton Klaus park. There is not supposed to be water anywhere in this photo. Kelsey and I walk/run this park all the time. You can see the pavilion and the basketball court. The poles normally portion off a parking area for car; now only for boats.
Anyone for frisbee golf? This would be a tough hole. Really pretty picture. And what this does not show, is the birds. Who are flying around loving the water.
Another picture where there should be NO water. Normally just grass. Another frisbee golf hole too. Its raining today, and the water is continuing to rise. I will take more pictures when I can. I hope it ends and the town can return to the life it normally lives. Wish us luck.

Read some of my previous blogs for more pictures and information about the worst flood in jamestown since 1997 and possibly ever. The red river can only hold so much.

Jamestown Flood Photos

Here is just a sample of pictures I took of the sandbagging effort, and rising river waters in Jamestown. I've been spending whatever free time I have to help sand bag at the Civic Center and drive, alk and run by the river all the time. I've seen the river rise ten feet over the last month.

The James River. Across the way, you can see machines building a wall during the night using a flood light to improve sight.
The sandbagging effort. This was 9pm, right before they called for a stoppage. I saw 5 times as many people earlier in the day. 
Here is just a sample the sand bags in queue. The people fill them, put them on pallettes, forklifts move them on a huge semi truck and put them in empty parking lots by the railroad tracks in the middle of town. Trucks then come by and pick them up and move them to wherever they need them by the thousands. 
The semi trucks with weight from the sandbags are not kind to the pavment. There are huge pot holes all over the volunteer area. 
Here is a photo from across the river from Anton Klaus park, which has been shut down. The park is slowly turning into an island.  

Sand bagging the flood away

As many of you know, I work part of the year, in Jamestown, North Dakota as part of an artist in residency program. I teach art classes from kindergarten up to adults, and I create artwork here. I am in month number 4 of a 5 month residency right now, and write this blog from my artist apartment in downtown Jamestown.

Currently, the city is under a major flood warning. Similar, but not as serious as the flooding in Fargo, North Dakota; two hours East of Jamestown. Here are some photo of the flooding in Fargo.

Since Jamestown puts money into the arts, and the arts gives money to me as a resident artist, I owe it to Jamestown to spend my free time bagging sand and getting it ready to stop the river from flooding the town. I spend my night standing amongst a crowd of various Jamestown and nearby residents from all walks of life, elementary students, teachers, retired farmers, the college baseball team and many many more in between. It is great to see the hardworking attitude of this group working together to shovel sand, fill bag, tie bags, stack bags and get them ready to build walls and fight the flood. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I will gladly spend it teaching Jamestown youth about art, and then bagging sand to make sure Jamestown (the city that supports me) survives. 'The Buffalo City' is a town worth saving and the people are working hard to keep it safe, are the very reasons Jamestown is worth saving in the first place.

Back to work.