ACC Remains at Relocation Sites

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This sand dike between ACC and the James River is one of the protection measures put in place by the city.

As the city of Jamestown prepares for flooding with clay levees, sandbags and teams of volunteers, the Anne Carlsen Center (ACC) is also taking a proactive and cautious approach. ACC will remain at its relocation sites throughout Jamestown until the flood threat subsides.

“We are staying put,” says CEO Dan Howell. “We won’t go back to the Center until we have greater assurances that it’s safe. At this point, there are too many different flooding threats the campus still faces … too many unknown variables. We do not want to have to evacuate again.”

The low elevation at the Center makes it extremely vulnerable to overland flooding. It was overland flooding that prompted the Center’s evacuation on March 23. Water had accumulated northwest of the ACC campus, threatening roadways and buildings. A culvert was plugged, making the flood fight more challenging. Ten large water pumps, ACC staff, Burlington Northern, city officials and emergency personnel, and the North Dakota National Guard worked around the clock to divert water to the nearby James River.

“The weather presented a major obstacle,” says Rick Owens, the ACC Plant Operations Manager. “We pumped water in pouring rain, a snow storm and a blizzard.”

When the culvert was steamed open, the flood threat lessened. But with the large amount of snow still on the ground, there are concerns about what warmer weather…and melting… will bring.

The Center’s close proximity to the James River, which is steadily rising, is also a concern. The Corps of Engineers is releasing water incrementally from the Pipestem and Jamestown dams, and in the Corps’ latest forecast, it indicated that levels at the two dams could reach 1 to 2 feet higher than earlier forecasts because of late March precipitation. The city of Jamestown has constructed a clay levee and a sand barrier between the Center and the river.

The Center evacuated 56 students, beds, medical equipment and essential supplies from its campus on March 23 due to the growing threat of flooding. Twenty students are residing at Zebedee Center at St. John’s Academy, 19 students are at the Jamestown Hospital, 12 students are at Heritage Centre-Ave Maria, and five students are at Hi-Acres Manor. At each relocation site, ACC staff members are providing continuity of care.

The Anne Carlsen Center provides educational, residential, therapeutic, medical and community-based services to children and young adults with a wide array of disabilities. Founded in 1941, the Center equips and empowers individuals to lead lives of greater independence.