In order to receive federal money for the reconstruction under the Water Resources Development Act, the cities must decide by Feb. 28. Moving on Everywhere there are reminders of the flood. The brown stripes of receding water lines remain on a white picket fence. The door of a colonial brick two-story house is left open unseasonably in the December air. Inside, a warped piano, minus its legs, lies in the middle of an empty, dusty floor.
Vacant houses stand next to empty lots where houses stood.
The sight of familiar houses and neighborhoods disappearing after demolition is emotionally draining, said Nancy Swerdlow, assistant executive director of the North Dakota chapter of the Red Cross. It was terrible seeing them ruined. The transition has been difficult for Swerdlow, a resident of East Grand Forks since 1984. In emergencies, she often travels to distant towns to help with disaster scenes. The Red Cross annual holiday request for donations went out three weeks late this year, because of the ongoing recovery efforts, Swerdlow said.