Zumbro Falls Flooding

Well last week I had a nice stretch off from work.  Eight days to be exact.  I ended up in Zumbro Falls cleaning up the mess. 
A girlfriend of mine grew up there and her parents owned and ran a gas station/convenience store on Highway 60 in down town Zumbro Falls.  I called her to see how things were going and that's when she told me about Thursday night, September 23, 2010.
It was raining like cats and dogs all day.  The whole town had been sandbagging trying to keep water out.  At around 11:30pm she said her and her family went across the street to the bar to have some pizza and relax for a bit before getting back to sandbagging.  At 12:30 the water had come over the levy and they knew it was not good.  Not once were they told to leave or evacuate town.  I would have thought that when they closed Hwy. 63 at 9:30pm they would have evacuated just for safety reasons, but they didn't. 
The water was like a nosebleed.  Moving steady and fast.  Her family could not move fast enough.  They were trying to place things up on shelves and moving their vehicles to higher ground.  Finally at 4:45 am they were waist deep in water in the middle of their store.  She said the current was so strong they could hardly move.  Could you imagine?  It's dark and you're in water waste deep and it's as cold as ice. 
I went down last Tuesday and Wednesday to help clean.  There was so much mud and sewage it was like walking through chocolate pudding, but it did not smell like it.  There were a lot of families that lost everything.  The streets were lined with piles of appliances, drywall, carpet, beds and family photos and stuffed animals.  I felt so sad for everyone down there.  What's worse now is Zumbro Falls may not be able to build again.  They may raise the flood plain and then Zumbro Falls will not exist, as least not at that level.  It's said to think it won't be there.  I have driven through Zumbro Falls everyday to get to my job in Rochester.  I can't imagine not seeing the glow of the street lights anymore. 

If anyone wants to help out any families please feel free to donate at the drop off location of Jenny's Greenhouse on highway 63.  They are in need of cleaning supplies, men's shirts in all sizes, laundry detergent, space heaters, mattresses and winter coats and boots.  All help and donations are greatly appreciated and it is all free for the flood victims.