GRAND MARAIS -- Cleanup continues in Grand Marais after a flash flood rushed through the town early Friday.
The Cook County Highway Department was repairing damaged roadways Tuesday. County Engineer Shae Kosmalski said her small crew of 14 is working nonstop to repair washed-out culverts and county roads.
"A lot of my crew has been born and raised here, and their comment has been they have never seen anything hit so fast or do so much damage so fast," Kosmalski said. "You can see the damage that it did when you get that kind of water that fast. ... No storm water system is designed to handle as big of a pulse of water as we got that quickly."
Highway employee Gary Blomberg said it could take as much as two months' work to get everything cleaned up and back in shape.
"Everywhere you look you've got problems. You know, shoulder washouts, you got road bed washouts, you got culverts, lots of culverts that need to be replaced. It's just too much water at one time," Blomberg said.
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Kosmalski is hoping for state and federal money to help with cleanup efforts. She estimates that road repair costs will be about $1 million.
Several businesses on Main Street also were hit hard by the flood. Barb Rawitzer, owner of the Attic, was running fans in the shop Tuesday to help get rid of moisture.
"Really what was amazing was that we didn't lose more and how quickly the water moved through the shop," Rawitzer said. "It came in the back door and went through the shop and exited the front door."
With help from friends, Rawitzer was able to re-open the store the next day.
"It's amazing that it came out like it did," Rawitzer said. "You just learn how good people can be to help other people out when something happens."
