The 2011 floods in North Dakota were one of the biggest disaster events in the history of FEMA Region VIII. Souris Valley flooding drove more than 12,000 people from their homes and continues to impact an area that also is feeling the effects of an unprecedented oil boom.

A commemoration was completed with Minot’s “Weekend of Hope” events that just wrapped up. The primary event was the reopening of Oak Park. The event was attended by both of the Federal Coordinating Officers that led federal recovery efforts in the Souris Valley, as well as the new Region VIII Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator. Oak Park’s reopening was a testament to the “whole community” concept, with volunteer support augmenting federal assistance funds. In addition, the Park was the recipient of a $100,000 award from Coca-Cola as “America’s Favorite Park,” the result of an online voting competition.

The one-year mark provided a natural opportunity to look back at the event, see how far the region has come as well as view the challenges that remain. FEMA Region VIII joined with our partners to document response and recovery initiatives. The following Souris Valley Information kit was developed to support the outreach. www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionviii/sourismediakit.shtm