WEST FARGO - Instead of spending a happy day preparing their new store in town, the Stanke family watched fence posts, fencing and pieces of outbuildings wash up onto what was left of the road to their farm southwest of the city.
Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney issued a CodeRED around 2 p.m. calling for volunteers with hip waders to help raise sandbag dikes around the Greg and Shannan Stanke farm.
A National Guard quick response force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel and county ATV teams shuttled volunteers and sandbags Friday between the Stanke home and that of their neighbor, William Lisburg, at 2910 13th Ave. W.
Lisburg was digging up his front yard in an attempt to raise his own earthen levee, Laney said, adding that Lisburg estimates it will take about 3,600 sandbags to reinforce his levee.
Sam Stanke, 22, said the water came up very fast during the day with the road nearly washed over in hours.
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Wind speeds at Fargo's Hector International Airport were greater than 30 mph, with gusts of up to 55 mph, the National Weather Service reported, creating waves in the rising water.
"These waves are just tearing their dikes apart," Laney said.
Airboats were standing by but wouldn't be used unless it's a life-or-death situation because they are too easily capsized by strong winds, he said.
The overland flooding from the Sheyenne River has been hard to predict, Stanke said, and much worse than years past.
Friday marked the fifth time the Stankes' levee around their home had to be raised. Until this week, they had been able to prevent water in their basement, although they have been living without running water for weeks.
Nine pumps sucked water out of their home, and Shannan said little had seeped in so far, despite the waist-high water surrounding the farm.
Their eight horses were evacuated last week, while six dogs and puppies remained. However, Shannan said they might evacuate the dogs as well.
Still, she says the family has kept their spirits high.
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"We got a canoe, and we've been paddling around in that, at least that's been fun," Shannan said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter
Wendy Reuer at (701) 241-5530
