Own worst enemy

Mike Creger Jul 11, 2012 2 Comments

The Duluth City Council recently approved spending $75,000 on a PR campaign to show people that the city is open for business post flood. I think it’s a dubious expense, though there are still people asking us how we are holding up and how we are getting around the city. But in reading a rather disjointed and breathless story in the Star Tribune today, I get the feeling that getting FEMA money will keep our city leaders from talking about rebuilding for a while:

From the Strib:

Said Duluth Fire Chief John Strongitharm, “When they see the scope of the storm, it would be difficult to think they would not be providing individual assistance. It’s had a major impact not only on the public infrastructure, but on people’s lives and homes.”

In Duluth, 10 inches of rain created the worst flash flooding in more than a century and hundreds of people were forced from homes by rising water. Roads buckled and washed out, sewers overflowed. Damage to public infrastructure has been estimated at $55 million.

“Any place there was a creek or culvert was destroyed,” Strongitharm said.

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2 Comments

pinkos

about 12 years ago 

$75 K does seem like a lot but peanuts compared to the estimated $3 M tourism lost in a week and a half after the floods.  Might be a small price to pay if it can convince some percentage of people not to cancel vacation plans to Duluth. 
 
Flood-damaged Duluth counting on Fourth of July business jolt

ian

about 12 years ago 

My coworkers from all over the country are still asking how we are doing (lots of conference calls). They kind of assume the whole city is trashed. Probably because a picture of my car from national news was floating around the office.  Small price to pay to keep money flowing into the city.

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