It takes more than 175 people to keep the city’s three manned sandbag sites running and a lack of volunteers could force the closure of some of those sites overnight.
“We can’t keep these sites open if there aren’t enough people to run the machines and fill the sandbags,” says Bismarck Police Lt. Steve Kilde.
Kilde says the city still needs to fill an estimated 1.5 million sandbags to meet the goal of four million sandbags by Thursday.
“We really need to get volunteers out to the sandbag sites during the overnight hours. We need a minimum of 50 people to run Sandbag Charlie, a hundred people to run Sandbag Central South and at least 25 people for Sandbag Central North,” says Kilde.
Residents should call the Flood Hotline at 355-1659 to check which sandbag sites are open before heading out to fill or collect sandbags tonight.
Volunteers should bring a shovel, gloves, and protective eye gear and report to the city’s three manned sandbag sites:
• Sandbag Charlie (521 South 22nd
• Sandbag Central North, Missouri Valley Fairgrounds (3805 E. Bismarck Expressway) - open 24 hours a day. Street) – open 24 hours a day.
• Sandbag Central South, Northern Plains Commerce Center (1901 Northern Plains Drive) - open 24 hours a day.
CAT buses will provide transportation for volunteers to the sandbag sites. Volunteers should meet in the southeast corner of the Kirkwood Mall parking lot (JC Penney wing).
Volunteers must register before they begin filling sandbags. Parental consent is required for those under age 18. Consent forms are available at both Sandbag Central and Sandbag Central South. You can also download the consent form at www.bismarck.org.
Self-fill Sites are located at the following sites:
• Horizon Middle School (500 Ash Coulee Drive)
• Santa Fe Avenue, Cottonwood Complex west of South 12th Street
• 48th
• Ponderosa Park (daylight hours only) Avenue and Sibley Drive (daylight hours only)
• Hogue Road (daylight hours only)