After flood, cleanup, recovery underway in Cook

COOK — The constant hum of fans and dehumidifiers throughout town was only interrupted by the crash of waterlogged carpet or drywall tossed into one of the many roll-off dumpsters lining the streets.

Although the flood waters have receded, Cook’s recovery from being inundated by the Little Fork River last week is just beginning.

Nearly 8 inches of rain fell on the river’s headwaters during the June 18 storm, raising water levels in Cook over the next two days. Downtown businesses and several residential neighborhoods in the small town, which is built on a floodplain, saw water levels of up to 18 inches on their main floors.

Steve Kajala, president of the Cook Lions Club, said an estimated 100 homes and businesses in Cook were directly affected by the flood. And that’s not counting the others who experienced flood-related issues like sewer backups, he said.

Micah Hodge’s home, a former church in the Slabtown neighborhood, was among those badly hit.

Hodge said he went shopping in Duluth the morning of June 19 when the water was high, but there was nothing he thought he had to worry about.

But after a friend warned him of water within a foot of the house, he rushed back to Cook.

“Anything we could grab, we put up high because I didn’t have time,” Hodge said. His garage and workshop, where he makes archery equipment and other traditional weaponry, were already flooded.

“It was not good,” Hodge said. “And then we were here for about an hour and it was already flowing into the house. So we just grabbed clothes and the dog.”

Hodge, his wife Jacinda and dog Henry stayed in a relative’s camper outside of town. Their cat, Tinker, hid in a lofted area inside the home and survived the flood.

But anything within a few feet of the floor is a complete loss.

The flooring, bathrooms and first 4 feet of drywall and insulation — all saturated — have been torn out. The furniture, except for a metal desk, was also all thrown away. However, the appliances, including a three-day-old fridge, were unplugged and largely survived, but need a deep cleaning, Hodge said.

With demolition done and drying underway, Hodge is looking to repair the home he built in the shell of a former church just six years ago.

“Nothing like rebuilding your home again,” Hodge said.

At the Cook Fire Department, volunteers and a crew of eight inmates from the Minnesota Department of Corrections' prison in Togo were sent to buildings needing cleanup help.

The fire hall was filled with tables of cleaning products, toiletries and snacks. Kajala said another storage space had just been leased to house donated furniture.

While he’s grateful for more than $20,000 worth of donations already spent on the flood response, he knows more will be needed for the full recovery.

“These homes all need to be put back to usable. … When you split that (donation) up, then the support per place goes way down,” Kajala said.

Inside the Cook Public Library, director Crystal Whitney and volunteers had torn out the soggy carpet — and moved all the shelves and books three times to do so — and were prepping to remove drywall near the floor.

The collection was largely spared, but a few children’s books were lost. The public computers were also dry, though the staff computers likely need to be replaced.

Although Wi-Fi is still available 24/7 from outside the library, Whitney said the city, surrounding communities and summer lake residents depend on the library for access to not only books but internet and printing services.

She wants to get the library up and running again, even if it’s just so patrons can pick up books from other libraries. Having moved three times in less than a week, the Cook collection no longer follows anything resembling the Dewey Decimal System.

Whitney is using what she learned in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m just sort of going to my COVID training here. How we can do this without the building?” Whitney said, adding that it’s something she knows the library can pull off again.

Across South River Street, the last of 120 seats were being removed and thrown out of the Comet Theater, which opened in 1939 and is considered the oldest continually running movie theater in the state.

Donors are contributing money, and another theater offered 140 of its existing seats once it is renovated this fall, said Ryan Horner, who owns the theater with his wife, Stephanie.

That kind of help and donations are welcomed, as Horner and others don’t have flood insurance.

“We’re in a floodplain, so no flood insurance,” Horner said.

Similarly, the nearby Montana Cafe, which was extensively damaged by the flood, said nothing will be covered by insurance, according to a post on the cafe’s Facebook page Thursday.

But a few parts of downtown were returning to normal.

Sand barriers surrounding The Old Muni did their job, allowing the bar to reopen June 21.

The Wash House laundromat reopened Thursday morning after being closed for over a week. The 18 inches of water only made a few machines inoperable.

John Jordan, who owns the laundromat with his two kids, said he’s been focused on reopening as he knows the flood likely damaged many washers and dryers throughout town. Based on the growing number of household appliances discarded in a vacant lot across the street, he’s right.

In the meantime, residents and business owners are hoping to see some sort of state or federal aid.

“Keep your receipts and hopefully get reimbursed down the line,” Horner said. “But unfortunately, who has money on hand to be paying for it all upfront?”