Duluth on the road to recovery

It has been roughly two weeks since torrential rains flooded Duluth, causing what may be more than $100 million in infrastructure damage. In the days after the storms, I have seen our community truly come together and work hard to put everything back together again.

As Duluthians continue their cleanup efforts, I want to take a moment to thank the public workers from our city, county, state and federal governments who put in so much time and effort the past two weeks, aiding both during and after the June 20

flooding.

In a span of 24 hours on that fateful Wednesday, Duluth and the surrounding areas received anywhere between seven to ten inches of rain. The heavy downpour fueled flooding in homes and businesses, and caused streets and bridges to wash away. Our firefighters, police officers, and public works employees worked into the early hours of the morning, doing what was necessary to protect citizens and manage the infrastructure damage from the rising waters. These individuals did what they could to help, even if it was outside their job description.

While much of Duluth has returned to business as usual, there is still much that must be done. The City of Duluth and the United Way of Greater Duluth in partnership with All Hands Volunteers have opened the Volunteer Reception Center of Greater Duluth (VRCGD). The center will coordinate and mobilize registered individuals and groups to help at sites around the city. To get involved, pre-register through the United Way at www.unitedwayduluth.org and click on the “Give Help” button.

It’s been a long two weeks, but we are on the road to recovery. I encourage anyone interested and able to visit the United Way site and lend a hand. We’re all in this together.

Senator Roger Reinert represents District 7 in the Minnesota Senate.

Tags: budge opinion, budgeteer