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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Minnesota And Other States
Coping With Flooding

From AP via Brisbane Times: (This story is breaking news from Brisbane dated August 21, 2007 6:36 AM; is being posted Easter Standard Tim (NYC) at approximately 6:10 PM August 20, 2007, with a publishing/time-stamp date of 8/21/07 12:31 AM. Confused, sorry ):

    Relentless thunderstorms in the US dropped up to 300mm of rain on parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, forcing the evacuation of two towns, while the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin hammered Oklahoma.

    In all, at least 20 deaths have been linked to the rains over the weekend - six in southeastern Minnesota, 8 in Texas and 6 in Oklahoma. Minnesota authorities were searching for one man who was missing.

    Steady rain fell during the night as Minnesota National Guard soldiers guarded communities that were cleared out after the devastating flooding early Monday. More rain was possible Tuesday and Wednesday and flash flood warnings were issued for northern Iowa, as well.

    The weekend fatalities included four people who died when their cars were swept off roads, two in a vehicle that plunged into a 30-foot gully and two others whose car was swept into a ditch.

Texas evacuations...Flood rescues in Oklahoma... AP via KXMB.com:

    GALVESTON, Texas (AP) Memories of Hurricane Rita from two years ago are still fresh enough for officials in south Texas who don't want to take any chances this time.

    [...]

    OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Some dramatic helicopter rescues are taking place in flooded areas of Oklahoma, where the remains of Tropical Storm Erin have swamped homes and highways and blacked out thousands of people.

Stockton, Minnesota couple rides their house through flood KARE.com:

    Roger Oldham of Stockton, Minnesota thought the safest place he could go with his wife and mother-in-law to avoid the rising flood waters here was the roof of their one-story house. He was right -- though the three weren't prepared for what followed.

    Just minutes after they escaped Saturday night, violent flood waters from an adjacent drainage ditch blew out their basement wall, ripping the house from its foundation and sending Oldham and the others on a harrowing ride through town.

    Holding on for their lives, Oldham and his wife, Bonnie, and her mother screamed for help as the house floated about 1,000 feet through the yards of their neighbors, many of whom were also stranded in the dark.

    "They were on the roof screaming and there was nothing you could do," said neighbor Sean Wehlage, 29, who was on his roof with his girlfriend and saw the Oldham house float by. He heard them screaming "bloody murder," but once they passed a towering pine tree he couldn't hear their cries and assumed the worst.

    The Oldhams were hanging on and praying the house stayed upright.

Hit the link and read the full story.

Comments:
I guess we can rename it "the land of one great big lake" instead?

Seriously though, I hope the water goes away fast and no one gets hurt.
 
It's really bad in some places. I mean, these people in the third link rode their friggin house like a surfboard. Christ!
 
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