Pics From Fargo

[ac777]

A few buddies and I went over to Fargo to help out on Monday. Here's a few pics.

The first 2 are from the Fargo Dome where they are filling bags and the rest are from the line and bagging in a residential are I believe it was Rose Creek.

It was cool to see everyone come together to help stop a disaster, If I lived closer I would have liked to help a lot more.

[leech~~]

ac777, I wonder if they could use those big long silage bags in some spots? Just lay it out on the dike and conveyor in the sand, instead of filling so many little ones?

[ac777]

ac777, I wonder if they could use those big long silage bags in some spots? Just lay it out on the dike and conveyor in the sand, instead of filling so many little ones?

Leech, That is exactly what I was thinking the other day. Not sure if there is some dis advantage we are over looking or what, but it takes tons of pure man power to get that many bags laid. I heard that by the end of the sand bagging, they will have laid ~1 million bags. Theres got to be something more efficient.

[Big Buck Buster]

ac777, I wonder if they could use those big long silage bags in some spots? Just lay it out on the dike and conveyor in the sand, instead of filling so many little ones?

Would they be strong enough to hold that much sand in them, or would they blow out with all the pressure?

[UMDSportsman]

even with filling the little ones, there has got to be a better way than shovels. a welder, some steel and a couple hours could build a schute that would fill multiple at once and you could fill it in the top with a skid loader. if you want to put a little more work into it, you could put hydraulic sylinders to turn on and off the flow from a bin that holds the sand into the shutes that would flow into individual bags. Throwing bodies at a problem helps, but doing so with the right(better) tools could make the job a lot faster.

I'm not trying to criticize what they are doing, i'm sure they are doing a great job. I just see opportunities.

[Lund4ver]

Believe it or not they already have the machines to fill the sandbags just like you describe, the problem comes is that not everyone knows how to be safe around machinery like that. Shovels, and piles of sand are safe for the most part.

I sand bagged in Minnesota during the last floods my senior year of highschool in Fridley (1997), and it was a great feeling being able to help everyone out that needed the help. I would do it agian if I wasn't working.

I commend all the volunteers out there helping their fellow neighbors, even if they have never met.

Pray for the best for those residents.

[ac777]

Believe it or not they already have the machines to fill the sandbags just like you describe, the problem comes is that not everyone knows how to be safe around machinery like that. Shovels, and piles of sand are safe for the most part.

I sand bagged in Minnesota during the last floods my senior year of highschool in Fridley (1997), and it was a great feeling being able to help everyone out that needed the help. I would do it agian if I wasn't working.

I commend all the volunteers out there helping their fellow neighbors, even if they have never met.

Pray for the best for those residents.

X2, They do have stuff like that, I think you can see one in one of the first pics. It worked kind of like a feed bin they poured it in the top and it was V'd and people were filling bags under that. They had several of these going. I do agree though, There has to be a more efficient way to go about it, but I guess they are just sticking with what works.

And the silage tubes probably would have to be made out of some kind of thicker canvas like material to have it work.

[CANOPY SAM]

The local news stations have been showing some type of "fencing" sytem that a payloader can simply fill with sand. I'm not certain, but they look to be about 4 x 4 foot cubes supported by a rebar framework. The loaders just drive up and dump in sand till they're full.

They're linked together somehow - assuming that water can't get between each block. This looked a lot more efficient than filling individual bags.

Problem with really big systems, and heavy equipment is you can't get em' into tight areas and yards where smaller bags can be strategically stacked.

I was in Ada in 97'. Flooding is a miserable disaster to clean up.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the Valley. If I weren't hung up at work I'd be out there baggin' as well.

[IFallsRon]

There's a company that has a machine that will fill a tube about 8-10 inches around and 200 foot long. It can do 20 or so feet, four feet high in about three minutes.

[bturck]

Its my understanding that the walls filled with sand are actually from the milatary, or at least designed for them to protect troops and equipement. Somewhat like the sand bag revetments that were used in Nam to protect aircraft and hooches at the milatary bases. They used sand bags back then but came up with a better system with these walls. Hope all of the efforts that have been put forth are successful.

they were showing on the news this morning where the Army is blowing up ice jams near Bismarck on the Missouri in an attempt to break things up.

[leech~~]

I did email two of the Silage bag making companies and asked them to look at their products. And if they think it would work to contact who ever is in charge of handling the flood efforts out in Fargo. Hope they can help! Leech~~

[MuleShack]

they were showing on the news this morning where the Army is blowing up ice jams near Bismarck on the Missouri in an attempt to break things up.

I was wondering when i saw that, why the nat. Guard doesn't use a couple 100 or 500lb bombs and clear up that river? it would be faster than drilling holes and planting explosives. I suppose the bombs would be a little more harmful on the fish etc.

[ac777]

I've heard reports now of it possibly cresting at 43 feet and sustaining 41 feet for several days, that can't be good, and I think they are recommending evacuation to many people also.

[Dragonsm]

I helped out in the flooding of 97 in Fargo doing bags and it is on of those feelings that leaves you on a high yet you are wiped.

I have both friends and family up in Fargo that I have talked to and said I drop everything to go up and help this weekend however it may be little to much to late......

Most of the dikes I think were designed to withstand 41 feet and with a crest pushing 43 feet....it is going to be a LOT of trouble. Even if I went up to help, I'd fight the trouble of even trying to get into fargo with all the roads being shut down.

I hope for the best but my friends/family are all expecting the worst. Even my college (Moorhead State) is shutting everything down. Very sad but sometimes there is only so much you can do with mother nature. My request to all is those that can't help out in the time of need now with diking, please keep them in mind after the fact. There will be a lot of people that will lose most/everything. There will be plenty of ways to help out after the fact whether it be through money or donated clothes/items.

I am glad I don't live up there, but I'll support them whatever way I can. At one time I lived in Grand Forks as a child and the home I grew up in...in 97's flood, the water reached the rooftop. Saddening!

Steve

[Surface Tension]

MuleShack, $50 of the right explosives would do a more precise job of breaking up an ice dam then an expensive bomb would and it would do it a lot safer. When breaking up rock(ice in this case) you'll need to drill, load the charge, backfill and tamp the hole. That will break it within. An explosive on the surface won't do a thing but make a lot of noise and break windows.

Although a Bunker Buster launched from a Black Hawk would be kwel to see. It would probably make a new catfish hole too.

My thoughts are with those that live amongst the rising water.

[Sandmannd]

My brother is in Fargo about a block from the river. Levy is holding for him as he is on one of the higher points.

My folks live in Bismarck and were aweful close to the water right before they blew the ice.

I keep thinking of all these folks that have to go through these major losses. And I hope they all do well.

[Ed Carlson]

The HESCO barriers go up very fast, they are working out well. In the future I am sure they will purchase more to the stockpile for such flood events.

HESCO flood barriers

[PierBridge]

More Prayers sent!

[Burnham]

i hate to go off subject but it looks like theres a creepy picture in the attic window lol...anyways my prayers will be with them