The problems persist with lake flooding in Waubay.
It seems to be an annual occurrence for the community in Day County, but this year it has been more pronounced because of a lot of snow melt and heavy spring and summer rains.
For the past 21 years... Waubay resident Jo-Ann Hinderks has lived in her dream retirement home on Blue Dog Lake. But now... that dream home has water on 3 sides of it with no signs of receding. "The house itself is still ok, the water has never gotten in there, but just underneath it. But I'm going to be moving because I can't live in this water."
Jo says that the water in her basement was at 11 inches at one point and that they've had to pump the water out of the basement to prevent the mildew from spreading upstairs.
"It's hard for everybody to see your friends, your neighbors be forced out. People you've known most of your life and it's devastating to see what the results are." And Hinderks isn't alone... over the last few months... Waubay Mayor Kevin Jens estimates that between 65 and 70 people have left the town of 650 people.
The cause of the problem? too much snow... and rain... and water runoff from the north... with nowhere to go in the south. "When they get precipitation anywhere to the North of us in our water everything is full yet and then this is where it ends up is down here at the lower chain of lakes."
And for Hinderks one of the links of that chain has broken. "It's really hard, because when you build a home after you retire, you think that this is where you're going to stay, but circumstances aren't that way."
The waters at Blue Dog Lake have only receded about 5 inches since 4 weeks ago. Hinderks says she plans on moving near her daughter and son-in-law in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
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