June 2021 marks 10 years since the Souris River flooded its banks — causing mass evacuations, millions of dollars in damage, and the total destruction of schools and businesses. Thousands of people lost their homes. Some never rebuilt. Record rainfall on top of an already wet spring devastated the entire Souris, or Mouse River, basin in parts of North Dakota, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The river finally crested at 1,561.72 feet above sea level during the overnight hours of June 25 into June 26. Experts said a flood of this magnitude would only happen every two to five centuries.
Today we begin our special series Main Street, Minot: 10 Years After the Flood to hear from homeowners, school administrators, broadcasters, politicians, and those in water management. This special series starts here, with a collection of people remembering what it was like back in June of 2011.
