wfn.org | Waters Remain Long After Flood

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (525
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Note 521 by UMNS on Dec. 22, 1997 at 15:32 Eastern (3719 characters).

CONTACT: Linda Bloom					    709(10-21-71B){521}
	    New York (212) 870-3803			Dec. 22, 1997

NOTE: This is the third of a four-part series on relief efforts in the
flood-ravaged Upper Midwest. Photographs are available upon request.

In some Upper Midwest areas,
flood's effects linger for months

					A UMNS News Feature
					by Linda Bloom*
	
     When last April's flood reached the small town of Beardsley, Minn., the
water almost became a permanent resident.	
	For months, it was pumped continuously from the basement of the local United
Methodist church at a rate of 100 gallons a minute through July, finally
tapering to a trickle in September.
     The problem was the so-called "Dry Lake" outside the town that had filled
with water, altering the water table, said the Rev. Roger Grafenstein, the
church’s pastor.
	Residents, including 40 to 50 percent of the church members, also were
affected. One family, he said, "started pumping with the last snow (last
spring) and stopped pumping with the first snow (this fall)." 
	For Grafenstein's family and others, the waterlogged buildings brought health
hazards.
     "I knew I was allergic to mold for many, many years," he explained. "We
found out our son was, too."
 	The mold was so abundant, in both the church and the parsonage, that his
2-year-old son required three rounds of antibiotics to deal with respiratory
infections.
     Eventually, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) gave them an
ozone ionizing machine, which stops mold from growing back once it is
eliminated.
     "It did wonders as far as quality of the air was concerned," Grafenstein
said. 
	As the 75-member congregation of Beardsley church continues to worship at a
town auditorium, its building committee is hammering out future plans.
Construction is expected to begin shortly after Easter.
	The main steps under consideration consist of cleaning up the basement,
fixing any problems with the foundation and adding a pre-fabricated fellowship
hall to the side of the church.
	"At this point, we have funds to start our project," Grafenstein added.
	Still, they are aware of their limitations. The aging congregation is part of
a county of only 5,000 people. The town itself has a population of 250, and
little new growth is expected in the area.
     "Realistically, if there's not a major population shift, we don't have
more than 15 to 20 years left that will be viable," he explained.
	But church members have been overwhelmed by the response from the national
church -- which has included a $50,000 UMCOR grant.
     "One person said, `We'll never complain about apportionments again,'"
Grafenstein said. "It's kind of like planting the seed and it yields one
hundred-fold. We've received gifts beyond measure."
	United Methodist churches in other small communities were affected by the
floods as well. Many are mounting relief efforts of their own:
· Grace United Methodist Church in Warren, Minn., which suffered extensive
damage to its lower level, started a "Project Noah's Ark" for its recovery
work.
· The congregation at Bowesmont (N.D.) United Methodist Church has pledged to
preserve its building -- listed on the National Register of Historic Places --
despite a federal buyout of the tiny town.
· Members of Wesley United Methodist Church in Crookston, Minn., prepared and
served meals through the Salvation Army Canteen and provided care for Hispanic
evacuees from Grand Forks during the emergency period.
· The United Methodist Church in Breckenridge, Minn., established a relief
fund to meet unmet community needs.	
# # #
     *Bloom is News Director of the New York Office of United Methodist News
Service.
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