Velva Businesses Clean Up on KFYR-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader

Velva Businesses Clean Up |

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Jennifer Schwan

4/21/2009

The Souris River roared quickly onto many people`s properties last week. Now the water seems to be all soaked up, but one family is left with so much damage it could take them a couple of years to get their property back to normal.

Down this long gravel road just outside of Velva, is the Feist residence and their business Feist Charlet.

"We sell charlets and bulls and send them around the world to places like Texas," says Curt Feist.

If you were to travel down the road today, it wouldn`t look to much like a business, but more like a disaster scene.

"This is the most damage I have ever seen," says Feist.

Last week, students sandbagged the Feist`s residence in hopes to save their house if nothing else.

"We appreciate it so much we just can`t describe it,"says Feist.

The flood water`s left Feist with about four hundred acres worth of damage including torn fences, and broken barns. The Feist`s business also suffered.

"We had an order of a semi-load of bulls that we had to cancel," says Feist.

The Feist`s home has survived the flood of 1969 and 1976, but Feist says this one by far was the worst.

"There was so much ice left on the water and it went through and tour everything down," says Feist.

Feist estimates the damage that the Souris left on his property will end up cost him thousands of dollars.

"If you live in North Dakota you`re supposed to expect anything," says Feist.

It could take three years until Feist has all of his property back to normal, but the memories of the flood of 2009 will last a lifetime.

The only flooding the Feist`s home did see is in the basement from sewage pumps.

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