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County employees did a good job

To the editor:
On June 24, a powerful storm passed through Central Minnesota and hit Chisago County very hard. Through Sunrise, Amador and Shafer townships along with the cities of North Branch, Shafer and Taylors Falls, rain fell in amounts ranging from 6 inches to over 8 inches. This amount of rain did a lot of damage to crops, property and roads. There were township, county and state roads with washouts and culverts washed away. This created some very dangerous situations and peopleís lives were at risk.
Thanks to the fast response from county employees, lives were saved and even more damage was prevented. The countyís emergency dispatchers received hundreds of calls and handled them fast and efficiently even staying on the line with a resident whose car was caught in a wall of water pinning the car against a guard rail, instructing her to get on the roof and getting help to the scene.
County deputies were at a road block down the road and responded quickly. They put their own lives in danger to rescue the woman in fast-moving, chest-high water.
This is just one story of the efforts done that night. The county highway department had crews out putting up signs on roads washed out and the next day they were working to get many of the roads open again.
These efforts are examples of the dedication of the employees working for Chisago County and I thank them for their efforts and courage.
Rick Olseen
Dist. 2 Chisago County Commissioner
(651) 674-7510

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