The Red River Floods of 1997 Oral History Project: Interview with Annette Montplaisir

Titles: The Red River Floods of 1997 Oral History Project: Interview with Annette Montplaisir (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Born in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 1960, at the time of the interview Annette Montplaisir lived with her family north of the city in a section situated very close to the Red River that was to be incorporated into the city in 2000. She was working as a communications officer for the Moorhead Police Department and the Clay County Sheriff's Office. Montplaisir and her family had resumed their normal lives and continued to live in their home north of Moorhead. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Montplaisir describes her experiences, and the experiences of her family, during the 1997 flood. She discusses how the flood affected her duties at work and describes many of the problems that both the police and the sheriff's office faced in helping people protect - and in many cases, evacuate - their homes during the flooding. Some extent of the impact of the flood on law enforcement may be gleaned by the fact that during the flooding, Montplaisir and her colleagues were working twelve-hour shifts, seven days a week; in many cases, they were on duty even as their own homes were threatened by rising waters. Montplasir also describes the impact of the flood on her own home and family. She discusses how her husband chose to remain at the home when it was nearly surrounded by flood waters, while she and their two children moved into Moorhead so she could continue to work at the police communications center. Although the Montplasirs were able to save their home, it did sustain damage, and Montplaisir describes the efforts they have taken to repair the home and protect it from potential future floods. She concludes her interview by discussing how the flooding destroyed the homes of several of her neighbors.

Dates

• 10/10/1997 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Montplaisir, Annette
• interviewer: Shoptaugh, Terry L.

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 57
• Accession Number: AV1999.66.22

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'The Red River Floods of 1997 Oral History Project' <OH 57>

Quantity: 2 hours sound cassette 37 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 80 minutes length

Subjects

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