By Charlie Warner
Argus Editor
Horror, shock, and disbelief were three emotions I experienced when I witnessed some of the devastation that resulted from the torrential rains of August 18 and 19. There just isnít any way to describe the destructive power of floodwaters spawned by an 18-inch deluge.

Homes pulled from their foundations by massive mudslides and sent tumbling 60 feet onto a highway below. Concrete and steel bridges twisted like pretzels. Century-old trees pulled by their roots and deposited hundreds of yards downstream. Gaping holes cut through highways by raging rivers where there hadnít even been a trickle of water the day before. An entire downtown inundated by six feet of water. Two cities located on the Root River were evacuated. Seven lives lost, millions of dollars in damage, dozens of businesses lost, and hundreds of lives changed forever.

Those are just a few of the somber images that came to mind as I took a long breath and tried to relax. After spending several very long days conducting and coordinating an extensive news-covering effort for the Caledonia Argus, it was time to reflect. The two-day deluge, which dumped between 8 and 19 inches of rain in parts of Houston, Fillmore, and Winona counties, was one of the most compelling stories local, state, and even national media reported on. A historic event, in this case a natural disaster, was occurring, and it was important to document it.

While there were countless tragedies, loss of life and property, and incredible hardships caused when the heavens opened up 10 days ago, there were also many heart-warming examples of just how unselfish folks living in this area really are.

Thousands of volunteers did whatever they could to help the victims of the floods. They came from all over Houston, Fillmore, Winona, Olmsted, Winneshiek, and Allamakee counties. They worked tirelessly, sometimes for 18 straight hours, to first of all make sure everyone was out of harmís way, and then to help with the monumental cleanup.

Officials in Houston, Fillmore, and Winona counties praised the countless volunteers for their unselfish actions. Gov. Tim Pawlenty called it "Minnesota nice." However you wish to label it, the outpouring of assistance and donations for the flood victims is an indication of the true spirit of folks living in this area.

Itís going to take months and even years to repair most of the damage caused by the floods. Unfortunately, some of the carnage cannot be repaired or replaced.

My heart goes out to those whose lives were adversely affected by the recent storms, especially those who lost loved ones to the floodwaters.

The old saying, "out of bad comes good" was quite evident during the third weekend in August and subsequent days. The bad was obviously the death and destruction wrought by the storms. The good was the incredible spirit of volunteerism, of giving, and helping those in need.

Flood relief collection centers have been set up at various locations in the area. Please continue to remember those flood victims, not only with your prayers, but also with material and monetary donations.

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I would like to commend the staff of the Argus for the excellent coverage of the floods. Staff photographer Reed Welch went way beyond the call of duty, capturing the unbelievable events with his camera, as they unfolded Sunday and Monday.

Two veteran journalists volunteered their services to help with news coverage. Former publisher Tom Murphy and former editor Jane Palen provided me with the help I needed to cover as many angles of this story as possible in a very short time. The first news of damaging floods didnít surface until Sunday, and we had the stories written and proofed, photos taken and formatted, and the entire paper ready for the printer by 9 p.m. Monday.

That took a lot of teamwork, which was provided by the aforementioned journalists, as well as our office and production staffs made up of Jill Hahn, Diana Hammell, Stephanie Schuldt, and Dawn Schuttemeier, and our fearless driver Lambert Staggemeyer.

Both Jane and Tom pitched in again this week to help with the continued flood coverage. Iíd like to publicly thank them for their help.

I would also like to point out the Argus website, which we updated on a daily basis with the latest flood relief information and road reports. With the technology we now have, thanks to the Internet, your weekly newspaper has now become a reliable provider of late-breaking news on a daily basis. I encourage all to check out the Argus website at www.hometownargus.com, or just Google Caledonia Argus.

You just might be amazed at the wealth of excellent photos, news coverage, and late-breaking stories being provided on a daily basis by your local newspaper!

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Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475

E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com