In September 2010 the Zumbro River flooded, leaving many communities in Minnesota underwater and causing millions of dollars in damage. Clint Miller, the Fund's Upper Midwest Field Representative, shares his experience dealing with the flooding, both as a victim and as a firefighter helping people in the flooded communities. As a Fund staffer who works on conservation projects that often include flood management goals, Clint has a unique perspective on the impact conservation work can have on communities.

When the Zumbro River Flooded

I have seen flooding and flood damage on television before, but it wasn’t until last September when the Zumbro River flooded that I actually witnessed a home on the verge of tumbling into a river. As a senior firefighter with Pine Island Fire & Rescue, I was in charge of a single engine that responded to dozens of 911 calls from people caught in their homes as the waters started to rise. When I responded to one emergency call, I arrived to find the propane tank bouncing against the home, which was completely surrounded by raging waters. It was too dangerous for my crew, and I had to tell the homeowner there was nothing we could do to save the house.

I live a quarter-mile from the Zumbro, and even after a heroic effort by my wife, neighbors and volunteers, we ended up with river water and sewage in our first floor. A surge of water came through the neighborhoods so fast that I had water lapping at the driveway—10 feet above the river level in my backyard! My wife said at one point there were a dozen people in the house moving our belongings upstairs and helping her sandbag. We don't even know who they are or where they came from.

There are dozens of homes in my town and surrounding communities that are completely uninhabitable. The scale of the flooding is beyond anything in the recorded history of the community. I can now say I’ve seen firsthand the need for The Conservation Fund’s work. The Fund and our partners save strategic landscapes so that communities can better manage flood waters, potentially avoiding disasters like the one in my community.

Knowing the importance of the Fund’s work is what made me get back to it just a few days after the flooding receded. Sure, I’ll be dealing with insurance and clean up at home, but the work we are doing along the Missouri River with the United States Army Corp of Engineers and the other conservation projects I am working on seem that much more significant now.