Kent Conrad: “last week on several occasions I spoke about the devastating impact of the floods along the Red River Valley on the…”

“last week on several occasions I spoke about the devastating impact of the floods along the Red River Valley on the residents of the communities in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The impact of the floods on small communities and the city of Grand Forks, ND has been extraordinary. In Grand Forks alone, more than 60,000 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters. Much of downtown Grand Forks has been destroyed by fires, and an estimated 28 to 35 schools and higher education facilities have been severely damaged or destroyed by the floods. This disaster has left more than 11,000 elementary and secondary students and 10,500 university students without school facilities for classroom instruction. Many of these elementary and secondary students are attending classes in more than 30 school districts across the State. The North Dakota Office of Management and Budget has estimated that damage to local education facilities, as well as the unanticipated costs to provide education services for displaced students around the State, may exceed $250 million.”