With bad weather in the forecast starting tomorrow night, volunteers are urgently needed to fill sandbags tonight and tomorrow.
“The weather is supposed to take a nasty turn Wednesday night, but tonight and tomorrow look to be perfect sandbagging weather. If volunteers work through the night, we could get to our goal for four million sandbags,” says Bismarck Police Lt. Steve Kilde.
Kilde says the city is an estimated 1.5 million sandbags away from that goal of four million sandbags by Thursday.
“Sandbag sites are set up for 24 hour a day operation, but between the hours of 10:00 pm and 6:00 am, volunteers are tough to find. 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.
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 Street) – open 24 hours a day.
• Sandbag Central North, Missouri Valley Fairgrounds (3805 E. Bismarck Expressway) - 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.
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 Avenue and Sibley Drive (daylight hours only)
• Ponderosa Park (daylight hours only)
• Hogue Road (daylight hours only)