Dec. 22, 1997

Grand Forks churches rebound after flood, extend help to area residents

By Linda Bloom

NOTE: This story is part of a series of stories about relief efforts in the flood-ravaged Upper Midwest. Photographs are here.

The Rev. Doug Diehl decided to let his hair grow last February.

He'd always wanted to try a ponytail. So as a fund-raising incentive, the pastor of Zion United Methodist Church in Grand Forks, N.D., pledged not to cut the back of his hair until groundbreaking for a new addition occurred.

But Zion's building plans -- along with the lives of the nearly 50,000 residents of Grand Forks -- were disrupted in April, when the Red River crested at a record 54 feet. The city's downtown and residential areas near the river were flooded. A fire also broke out downtown, destroying or heavily damaging several blocks. Eventually, the entire city was advised to evacuate.

As of December, the pastor's ponytail was still in place, primarily as a symbol of the goal that had been put on hold by the flood.

When the waters rose in April, Diehl waited out the evacuation at Grand Forks Air Force Base with some parishioners. When he was able to return to Zion church on May 1, "there was a great sense of relief because we did not have water in our sanctuary on the main level," he recalled.

The bad news: six and a half feet of water had filled the basement area, which housed most of the Sunday School classrooms, a secondary kitchen, the furnaces and the electrical service.

"Things were floating around in the stairways, and it was pretty dismal," Diehl said.

Wesley United Methodist Church also suffered major damage on its lower levels -- about $1 million worth, according to church member Robert Boyd. But with the help of volunteer teams and its insurance coverage, Wesley has gradually been able to rebuild, he said.

The physical recovery at Zion -- which suffered no structural damage -- has been assisted by volunteer work teams and nearly $250,000 in donations. It has been estimated the church will need about $300,000 in work to meet new building code requirements.

"We've had so much support from other churches and individuals," Diehl said. "There's a great sense of gratefulness.

"If anything, we've learned the importance of the connectional system and how much people care about us."

Church members also had to deal with damage to their personal property.

"About 70 percent of our families had water in their homes," he added. Four families -- still living in trailer parks set up by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) -- lost their homes.

One of the four is the family of Violet and Ken Nygaard, who share their trailer with a daughter and grandson. The Nygaards are expecting a government buyout for their home of 29 years.

The flooding pushed the house off its foundation, but the Nygaards were able to store furniture in the garage.

"We lived in our yard for the summer, in an RV," said Violet Nygaard, who is 65.

Zion has supported them. "They were asking us all the time if we needed help," she added. "We really appreciated that."

The family also received a check from donations that will help with the purchase of a new house or mobile home.

Recently, the church recruited more than 40 "caring coordinators," each of whom calls five member families once a month to check on their needs, Diehl said.

The congregation also is setting aside 10 percent of what it has received to help others.

As a result, the church has had a chance to meet the tremendous need for child care services in Grand Forks by starting a center in a doublewide trailer on its property. Eventually, the center will be moved inside the church building.

"It was a huge leap of faith for us," the pastor said, "but it's turning out really well."

Source: United Methodist News Service.