As I write this week’s Unorganized Territory, I’m in shock over the photos and videos of the destructive flooding in the Twin Ports. It is hard to believe it is real, since we were only lightly battered by the weather on June 19. As our County Highway Engineer David Betts said in an interview after the storm, we were harder hit by the Memorial Day storm.
We are very lucky.
Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin are actually lucky too, although I’m sure the hundreds—perhaps thousands— of people pumping water out of their basements and cleaning mud and debris out of their yards and their cars do not feel lucky. But the two cities are actually lucky that no one was killed in the powerful onslaught of water.
Seeing the photos of deep, deep water surrounding the popular eatery, Grandma’s Saloon by Miller Hill Mall, is heartbreaking. Will they be able to drain, dry out and clean the restaurant? Or will the building—and the many others around it underwater—have to be torn down?
How many cars have been destroyed by the unstoppable water? How will the owners—and the city—get the cars out of the sinkholes where they are stuck? How do you even begin to clean that up?
And how will all the workers missing work be able to pay their mortgages, put food on the table, and replace the things they’ve lost in the flood? The pictures of Miller Hill Mall and the parking area at The Edge make me wonder what the employees are doing while waiting for the water to recede.
I’m so sorry for the beautiful city of Duluth, with its beautiful walking paths alongside streams that turned into raging torrents and washed away creek beds and bridges. Will the vegetation come back? Will money be found to replace footbridges?
I sincerely hope so. I have always loved Duluth and her sister city Superior. If I had to live in a city, I would choose Duluth. I love the scenic views—from the top of the hill, looking down on the ships in the harbor or from the waterfront, looking up at the towering hill covered with an eclectic blend of houses, new and old. I love the skywalk system and the Lake Walk that has grown over the years from a path in Leif Erickson Park to a fabulous hiking trail winding along the waterfront. I love the downtown with its horse-drawn carriages and sculptures and I even like the newer section up on the hill, where Shopko and Cub Foods are carved into what was once a rock-crushing cement plant.
Duluth is an interesting city, with a rich past of immigrants and entrepreneurs. It’s a city of determined spirits— who else would build on such a hillside or on a tiny strip of land connected by a high bridge?
Duluth has overcome a lot of adversity, including a number of economic downturns. But Duluth has faced them bravely, reinventing itself over and over, until it has become one of our region’s most enjoyable vacation spots.
So I am confident that Duluth will make its way through this crisis. The city on the bay will repair its roads, mend its bridges, and rebuild its businesses. And the storm of 2012 will be just another chapter in the remarkable history of the City of Duluth.
There are two big forces at work,
external and internal. We have very
little control over external forces such
as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods,
disasters, illness and pain. What really
matters is the internal force. How do I
respond to those disasters? Over that I
have complete control.
Leo Buscaglia
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