Grand Forks 1997 Flood Recovery: The Decision to Rebuild
Renewed, Rebuilt, Reborn
In April 1997, the eyes of the nation were on Grand Forks, North Dakota as the city fought valiantly to keep a flood of epic proportions from swallowing it whole.
Nearly all the city’s 52,000 residents were evacuated as the battle against the raging Red River of the North proved too formidable.
When it seemed the worst might be over, fire broke out in the heart of the city’s downtown, jumping from building to building and rendering firefighters virtually helpless to stop it.
In the end about 75 percent of the city had flooded and Grand Forks faced its biggest challenge yet – rebuilding. Many wondered if it was possible to come back. Here are two stories of individual business owners who proved that it was.
George Widman
Since the 1940s, Widman’s Candy Shop – the home of the “Chipper” a chocolate-covered potato chip – has been a cornerstone in Grand Forks, ND. Owner George Widman is a fourth generation candymaker who shows up to work everyday. “I’m 86 and my wife is 82 and we’re here every morning ‘til night. I’ll keep on going until they haul me out,” he said.
That time almost came in the spring of 1997 when the Red River reached record levels. The business sits just a block from the river and the floodwaters destroyed everything in the candy shop.
Most people who lose their entire business at the age of 76 would probably just give up, but not George. “No never. You know why. It took me 30 years to pay for this building,” he said with a determined grin.
After refinishing the store and buying all new equipment, Widman’s Candy Shop was up and running – in the same location – within a year after the flood. In fact, it was one of the first businesses to repopulate the downtown business district.
Even though the flood of 1997 has been dubbed the ‘Flood of the Century,’ Widman has learned from his experience and won’t get caught off guard again. “We’ve got an idea on what we’d do – we’ve got a plan,” he said. And that plan likely includes continuing to supply the Red River valley with “Chippers” for many years to come.
Kim Holmes
Sanders 1907 is one of the more popular spots in Grand Forks. Owner Kim Holmes is right where he wants to be – downtown. “In my opinion, the heart and soul of a city is its downtown,” he said.
Unfortunately, the heart and soul along with the rest of Grand Forks was nearly washed away 10 years ago during the flood of 1997. That spring, the Red River of the North swelled over its banks to the highest water levels in the river’s history.
Holmes fought to save his restaurant to the very end but the water was just too powerful. “The manhole cover on the street shot six, eight feet in the air from the water pressure. I said I got to get out of here,” Holmes remembers.
Holmes was allowed back downtown once the waters receded. The scene inside his restaurant was devastating. “It was like somebody turned a blender on in there,” he said.
Like many other business owners in Grand Forks, Holmes had a decision to make: should he rebuild? For him, the decision was a no-brainer. “This flood wasn’t going to beat us as a community and it certainly wasn’t going to kick my booty out of town,” Holmes said proudly.
That kind of resolve has helped Grand Forks rebuild as a community. In 2000, Sanders 1907 reopened downtown at a new location, and in 2007, the restaurant celebrates 25 years of business.
“Here we are 10 years later and it’s spectacular,” Holmes said. “Everyone’s scarred from this. We all had our lives set back and changed forever but the way we approached it – and came back – makes a big success story for Grand Forks, ND.”
Last Modified: Wednesday, 18-Apr-2007 12:28:40 EDT