Rural areas hit hard as well

Ken Johnston
Editor

Rural areas saw the effects of the storm just as bad as Rainy River.
Roads were washed out leading to Morson and virtually just about any where else one can think of. Access to the Morson area was not restored until Thursday and even then it was only just passable.
Highway 11 was closed at LaVallee until Friday. The bridge was under water until then. However Hwy. 602 or the Emo River Road was open and traffic to and from Fort Frances to Rainy River was able to get through.
The highway to Nestor Falls and Kenora was closed until the weekend and Hwy. 11 east of Fort Frances to Thunder Bay was and still is closed. It is expected to open later this week when a temporary bridge is installed at Seine River.
There were unconfirmed reports of farms completely underwater north of the Stratton and Pinewood areas. One couple reportedly had to climb to the hay loft to avoid the floodwaters.
In Morson Mylie’s Camp saw a lagoon flood and eventually erode the ground under the dining hall. As the foundation eroded it saw the building cave inwards in the middle.
Power and phone service was out in the Morson area for several days. Eventually it was restored, but not until after many folks from far away had called to other people they knew in the area hoping to find out if loved ones out there were okay.
Lake of the Woods and Dawson Townships also declared a State of Emergency on Tuesday but lifted it on Thursday when the road was made passable to Morson late Wednesday night.
LoW and Dawson Town Clerk Pat Giles said that Mayor Val Pizey and council decided to hire local contractors to get the road open as soon as possible. Rather than wait for the Ministry of Transportation to work on it they felt it a priority.
Rural areas also were cut off from emergency services like the ambulance. Tuesday an ambulance was called to such an area but could not get there from Rainy River. An air ambulance was dispatched to the scene. Local ambulance workers said one had been put on standby for the region to deal with the forced isolation.
To the west of Rainy River the highway was out between Baudette, Minnesota and Warroad, MN. It was made passable by late in the week. However to the west of there Roseau, Minnesota was declared a national disaster by President George Bush as a dike broke and most of the town flooded.
Roseau was still under water Monday and there was no word as to when things would be getting back to normal.