“Every dike must be watched for cracks, seepage, and seepage must be pumped back over into the river,” Watterud said, explaining that sandbags are freezing because of the cold weather.
“They must be soft to make a good dike, so people are dropping them onto concrete or the hard ground to break up the frozen sand before placing them onto dikes,” she explained.
On Tuesday, Bishop Aquila toured areas where sandbagging was taking place. On Thursday he helped fill sandbags at the Fargodome stadium.
Speaking to radio interviewer Scott Hennen on AM 1100 on Thursday night, he reported that a man who had no legs was there helping tie the sandbags.
“It's a great witness. It's a great morale booster. It's wonderful to see how people are looking out for each other,” he said.
In his interview Bishop Aquila encouraged listeners to “focus on God and the presence of God in our lives,” noting that though material possessions can be replaced, “a human life, you can never replace.”
Those who have lost their homes to flood waters can take comfort in knowing “they still have their lives, they still have their families and those are the things that are most important to all of us.”
The bishop said he himself has taken some precautions such as moving possessions up from the lower levels of his home. He then reported he would evacuate if necessary.
He also called for prayer, saying, “One of the important things we must do is really pray for the virtue of hope and keep our eyes on the future. If it means rebuilding the city, other cities have done it.”
Telling listeners that God will give them strength to endure “if we keep our focus on him,” Bishop Aquila prayed that God would “bestow upon us all of the graces that we need at this time, to strengthen our faith our hope and our charity, that we may know that he is with us.”
Praying for protection for cities, counties, and flood-struck areas, he especially prayed that God would protect “all of our families,” most especially those who are homeless and elderly” and would “help our hearts to be attentive to them and to serving them.”
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