Fargo flood recovery slow but steady

FARGO, N.D. - Debbie Poitra wept at the thought of her basement-level apartment filled with 6 feet of water.

''There's nothing left. Clothes, personal stuff, pictures - things that couldn't be replaced. It's all under water now,'' a tearful Poitra said as she stood next to a flooded Fargo street.

Fargo got about 7 inches of rain in a six-hour period late Monday and early Tuesday, said Mayor Bruce Furness, who declared a state of emergency. There were no reports of injuries, but plenty of waterlogged streets, homes and businesses.

The National Weather Service said the heaviest rain was over, but a few scattered storms could add up to another inch of rain.

Crews were working Wednesday to reopen Interstates 29 and 94 in the Fargo area.

''We're not out of the woods yet for those commuters that are going to work in the morning. They're still going to have some problems getting around,'' transportation supervisor Bruce Nord said. He hoped to have all the interchanges open in time for the evening commute.

The Fargodome, the city's major arena, was deluged with nearly 12 feet of water. Floodwaters filled storage rooms 4 feet below the main floor and rose about 8 feet above the main floor.

Officials hoped to have the water pumped out by Thursday so they could assess the damage. The water gushed through a loading dock, overran two pickups, diesel tanks, dressing rooms and staff offices. The mayor said he saw turf floating.

''We really have a mess,'' Paul Johnson, Executive Director of the Fargodome said.

Fargo's operations director, Dennis Walaker, estimated damage to the dome would be at least $1.5 million.

''We're already seeing millions of dollars worth of damage,'' Gov. Ed Schafer said. ''Most buildings at (North Dakota State University) are water-damaged ... It's a difficult situation.''

Walaker said the city's sewer system was not expected to recover until sometime Wednesday.

Sherry Estes stood on a sidewalk near a flooded street Tuesday with her pet parrot, waiting for a bus to take her to a motel. She said water started coming up out of her toilet and bathtub Monday night.

She spent the night in the hallway of her apartment building.

''I have been totally depressed,'' she said. ''Luckily, we have someplace to go.''

Poitra said she and her husband tried to bail out their apartment with a 13-gallon garbage container, but nothing could keep the water back. It ''just took over everything,'' she said.

The Red River was above flood stage in Fargo and was expected to crest Wednesday morning at around 24 feet, or about 7 feet above flood stage. The crest was lowered from a day earlier.

About 75 miles to the north, the river was expected to crest about 4 feet above flood stage Saturday in Grand Forks, which was devastated when the river flooded three years ago. About 60,000 people were forced to evacuate then.