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North Dakota's #1 news website 12,294,621 pages views — April 2013

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Published April 21, 2009, 12:00 AM

Flooding, through children's eyes

Students express themselves with stories, artwork


"Some people had to be rescued on boats. A lot of the people had to go to a shelter because their houses are surrounded by water.” – Kaelen Langness

  • "Some people had to be rescued on boats. A lot of the people had to go to a shelter because their houses are surrounded by water.” – Kaelen Langness
  • "My dad and some other people I saw were passing sandbags. My dad said the sandbags were really heavy. My dad stopped working and ran over to us. They were passing sandbags by our friend’s house. He slept good that night. I’m going to fill sandbags soon.” – Tommy Stueland
  • Ryan Loe, 10, drew how the water encroached on land outside Georgetown, Minn. Loe is a fourth-grader at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum, Minn.
  • "My experience, let me tell you it was something else! I had to evacuate. It was the coldest boat ride ever. My friend Kirby got me home! The End.” - Casey Kremke
  • Mason DePoppe, a 9-year-old from Halstad, Minn., shows how a dike protected his house and tree house during the flood. He is a fourth-grader at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum.
  • Quinn Merkens, 9, drew the floodwaters overtaking roads and stalling traffic. Merkens is a fourth-grader at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum.
  • Amber Ostgaard, a 9-year-old fourth grader at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum, Minn., says it was “scary” when the flood forced the National Guard to move into her school. Her picture shows how water closed roads.
  • Casey Sortland, a fourth-grader at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum, drew this to illustrate a view of the flood.
  • Amanda Tommerdahl, 9, shows how she helped make sandbags to fight the flood. She is in fourth grade at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum.
  • Alexis Marciniak, 10, of Halstad, Minn., says she was “safe” from the floodwaters. But, as her drawing shows, some homes were not saved. She is a fourth-grader at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum.
  • Gracie Schilling, 10, writes that floodwater filled her backyard, complicated her family’s health and caused her horse to act like a “weirdo.” She is a fourth-grader at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum.
  • This drawing by Brandi Lee, 10, shows Highway 75 under water. Lee is in fourth grade at Norman County West Elementary in Hendrum.
  • “We went to the bridge over the Red River. It was very high. It went over some roads. I liked looking over the bridge. The water was flowing fast.” – Kai Nellermoe, Park Christian School
  • “My friend had 5 feet of water on their main floor. We made brownies for them. We took our toilet out but we did not have water by it.” – Ryan Kerr, Park Christian School
  • "I live in Oakport. We got a code red call. I called my pastor to go to my church. He told us to sleep at their house. We moved to my Great Grandma's house. It was 10:40! We had no sewer." - Kylee Invie
  • "This is my home and it is flooded. We got everything upstairs. My mom and I evacuated our house. My dad stayed behind for a night. The next morning my dad said we lost the baddle." - Chloee Hahn