And Now For The Flooding

From one environmental extreme to the next. Merely days after the last blizzard, the flooding began. With high temperatures early last week, the area began to see rapid snow melt.

According to Marshall CountyEmergencyManagement Director Logan Roehr, “The first report I received of flooding on April 11 was in reference to SD 27 just east of Langford. In 2019, we saw ice and snow jam the drainage ditch and cause flooding in the town itself. Last week, there was water starting to flow. The water was supposedly up to the bottom of the bridge and there was concern that the jam(s) would occur again.”

Roehr added that he was at a training in Milbank that day with other Emergency Managers. “By the time we wrapped up things in Milbank, almost all the EMs were taking and making phone calls in reference to flooding in their county,” said Roehr.

By the time Roehr got to Langford to check out the flooding situation, the concern was no longer ‘at the bridge’ but further ‘down’ the ditch near the landfill where there was still snow/ ice pack.

The Langford City crew were at work digging the ditch out to try and keep things moving. Roehr said there was enough water going through the ditch and enough ‘resistance’ that the water then went outside the ditch walls near the Langford dump (east and west side). There was minimal water flowing on the west side and there wasn’t a concern that the water would make its way into town as there was a path for it to flow into the field north of town.

Around this time, Roehr also found out that the Marshall County Sportsman’s Club at Hickman Dam had flooded. The traps and outside range had three to several inches of water above the ground. Water, however, had not gotten into the clubhouse itself. A snowbank was pushed to allow water to more easily flow into the creek which helped with drainage of the area.

In the next days, County Emergency Management as well as the Sheriff’s Office responded to other reports of roadways underwater, assessing and reaching out to townships if the roadways needed to be closed. The county highway department placed signage/barriers on county roads.

Roehr cautions that there still may be roads that are flooded/ washed out. He reminds motorists to not travel through flooded roadways.

He also asks Marshall County residents to report flooding to the county. First, because this information may be important should emergency vehicles need to travel those roads.

And secondly, flooding should be reported as the county is collecting information for a possible county disaster declaration if one is approved on a state/federal level. Roehr explained that the county needs to reach a threshold of $19,118 in damages to qualify for the disaster. (Again, the declaration is still dependent on the overall state’s damages.)

You can report flooding or damage by calling or texting (605) 448-2339 or emailing mcem@venturecomm.net.