Neche, ND still waiting for federal approval to build permanent, flood protection

NECHE, ND  (KVRR) — In the northern part of North Dakota, the town of Neche has faced another round of flood waters. It is an issue they hope will go away in the near future as they continue to wait for federal approval for the town to build permanent, flood protection.

Neche is over 160 miles north of Fargo.

“It always seems like everybody is thrilled to come up here when the floods are happening and then it’s hard to get the help when there is nothing going on.” said Stuart Symington, the mayor and fire chief of Neche.

According to Symington, it has been close to 15 years that the town has waited for their application to be approved. This time, they believe they are close to getting it done. However, once it is approved they will have to get help from the state to get it built. The mayor believes that having the permanent protection in place will also help attract more business to the area. As it stands, he said the flood insurance is pricey.

Symington said once it is approved, they’ll need help from the state for funding.