The last house has been rebuilt thanks to the efforts of United Methodists throughout the Dakotas Conference and the country.  Over 10,000 people experienced major damage or had a complete loss of their home after a flood of the Souris River in June 2011. 

Photo:  The final home rebuilt in Minot from the 2011 flood. Both of the individual family members are disabled and medically retired.  The husband is a disabled US Army veteran. Photo by Bob Lower.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and the Dakotas Conference provided financial and administrative assistance to the rebuilding effort. United Methodist volunteers provided ten of thousands of hours for case management and rebuilding of homes.

Bob Lower, Dakotas Conference Associate Coordinator for Disaster Relief said, “United Methodists were there from the beginning.  United Methodists were the last boots on the ground working the Minot Flood.”

Minot flood causes devastating loss

On June 24, 2011, the Mouse River overflowed its banks, and floodwaters rushed in at 75 miles an hour, ravaging thousands of homes and the basement of Faith United Methodist Church, Minot, North Dakota. All that happened, despite a hastily constructed 40-foot temporary dike around the area.

The floodwaters stayed for seven weeks.  The flooding in the Souris Valley led to the worst disaster in state history. The catastrophe left 8,000 to 9,000 people homeless in the Minot area. Faith United Methodist church was a total loss.  The congregation voted in 2012 to move to another building, out of the flood plain.

Rebuild begins

UMCOR sent an initial grant of $10,000 to the conference and trained Resource Agency Flood Team (RAFT) case managers to work with flood survivors.  The Dakotas Conference provided immediate financial support through a special appeal and conference disaster relief funds. 

Rev. Debra Ball-Kilbourne and Faith United Methodist Church led the case management work. The RAFT process operates with a philosophy of care.  RAFT moves disaster survivors beyond file folders and into a recovery plan addressing physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

In 2011, funds from UMCOR and the Dakotas Conference created a position to manage relief and volunteer efforts in the Minot Area.  Bob Lower, who had lost his home to flood, was selected as the Associate Coordinator of Disaster Relief for the Minot Area.  Bob became the first point of contact for United Methodists and many other agencies assisting with the disaster.

UMCOR also helped establish Hope Village, an ecumenical project that, beginning in 2012, furnished resources and housed volunteer teams.  UMCOR “has been very supportive of our work in Minot,” said Lower, “approving grants for building supplies, providing funds to get Hope Village up and running, and maintaining our presence.”

Methodists complete the rebuild

In 2012, Hope Village and its partners repaired or rebuilt more than 500 homes. In autumn 2013, Hope Village closed its doors, and other faith-based entities followed suit.

Photo: The final volunteer shown is Neil Jenson, Faith United Methodist Church in Minot. Neil lost his home in the flood and spent the first year rebuilding it.  He then volunteered for the remainder of the reconstruction. Photo by Bob Lower.

“At that time,” said the Rev. Lee Gale, Dakotas Conference Disaster Response Coordinator for North Dakota, “there were 20 homes in various stages of rebuild. Bob and I decided together that we would not leave Minot until the last nail was driven.” Lower arranged with churches in Minot to house volunteers through summer 2014.

While the builders and repair workers were leaving, the owner of the building was clearing out the materials warehouse, Gale said. “When he found out The United Methodist Church was staying, he offered a smaller building suitable for warehousing building materials free of charge.”

Lower coordinator the rebuild efforts throughout 2014.  He reports that 47 families were assisted throughout, from January 5, 2014 - October 5, 2014.  Volunteer workers completed a total building demolition, partially rebuilt 20 homes, and provided various others services to 26 families during that time period.

Other services included helping families connect with agencies that provided free services and home infra structure support (home heaters and air conditioners, insulation, and kitchen equipment).

The biggest contributor to the final year of rebuilding volunteers was the United Methodist NOMADS – they provided from 8 to 10 volunteer builders per week from May 1 – Aug 31, 2014. 

Preparing for the future

A wise thing to do when one disaster relief effort is over, is to prepare for the next one. Funds from UMCOR and the Dakotas Conference disaster relief funds are allowing for a warehouse to be built at Spirit Lake Ministry Center in Sheyenne, North Dakota.

Photo: One of the Dakotas Conference disaster relief trailers that will be stored in the warehouse at Spirit Lake Ministry Center.  The warehouse will be completed this fall in Sheyenne, North Dakota.  Photo by Bob Lower.

Several recent disasters throughout the Dakotas Conference have resulted in several pieces of equipment such as covered trailers, supplies, generators, gas and electric pumps.  All of the supplies and equipment will be stored in the new warehouse.  The warehouse is scheduled to be complete by November 2014 at Spirit Lake Ministry Center.

The warehouse provides a mechanism for the Dakotas Conference to immediately deploy supplies and equipment to the site when a disaster strikes. The conference is also working to create a pool of trained volunteers. 

The experience base of volunteers and paid disaster relief staff throughout the Dakotas Conference has created training and trainers for the conference to provide case managers and Early Response Teams (ERT).  Trainers will continue to offer opportunities on a continual basis so that volunteers are prepared when a disaster occurs.

Bishop Bruce R. Ough, Dakotas-Minnesota Area, is grateful for the efforts of many in Minot. “Lee Gale and Bob Lower along with Debra Ball-Kilbourne have provided commendable leadership and dedication to the Minot Flood Recovery effort.  We praise God for the selfless effort of these leaders and the hundreds of volunteers who have helped rebuild and reshape the lives of so many.”