The Daily News

City and county officials from North Dakota visited Wahpeton-Breckenridge Tuesday to tour the levee systems. Many of the cities in attendance are now experiencing what the Twin Towns went through during the 1997 flood.

"They toured the pump stations and learned about interior pumping," said Brett Lambrecht, Richland County emergency manager. "If you don't know about interior pumping your streets can flood with a large rainfall."

City representatives also learned about the permanent levee system and how Wahpeton and Breckenridge received funding to build the levees.

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Since most of the cities have not built levee systems, they found the Twin Towns' system to be a starting point.

"Wahpeton-Breckenridge is a good example for the size of towns and counties that attended," Lambrecht said.

For the most part, the Twin Towns is 12 years ahead of most of these cities and counties, said Greg Wilz, Homeland Security director for North Dakota.

"This is an opportunity to listen to the trials and tribulations this community has gone through," Wilz said. "They're gaining a better understanding of what you can do for flood protection. And it's a way for the community to showcase what's been done here."

Communities that attended were Linton, Lisbon, Valley City, Oakes, Grafton, Pembina and Dwight. Counties included Pembina, Emmons and Cass.

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