The numbers surrounding the devastating Souris River flood of 2011 have been staggering.
-More than 4,000 homes and businesses damaged.
-More than 10,000 residents evacuated during the height of the flood.
-A long-term flood protection plan with a price tag of at least $820 million.
At a special meeting held Wednesday, members of the Minot City Council discussed a study commissioned to gather information on the city's unmet needs. The resulting study found more than $1.09 billion in unmet need, which are defined as any need for funding that remains after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Small Business Administration, insurance and non-profit agencies have been tapped.
While much progress has been made in and around the city, the numbers alone show that a massive amount of recovery work remains. That work won't be accomplished quickly, cheaply or easily, and some of it will likely never be done, given the financial situation of some still-displaced residents.
The $1.09 billion in unmet needs should serve as a stark reminder that Minot remains a city very much in the midst of recovery, a process that will take years to finish.