SGU helps Parmelee
We have a few candles and D cell batteries here at God and Lisa’s offices. If you or family members need them, come pick them up. Pamida has candles and batteries on sale this week, if you happen to be in Winner.
storm
2. Stories
I’m a 4th grade teacher at He Dog elementary school.
Yesterday, we had teacher in-service. It’s kind of odd to be doing in-service at your school when the community that you serve has been without power for the past 6 days. Several of the teachers wanted to go out into the community and hand out a warm meal instead. Thankfully our administrator gave us the go ahead, so we cooked up some food and made our way to one of the local churches where we could give people some heat and provide them with a hot meal as well.
While the school cook, teachers and paraprofessionals were handing out food we had numerous cars driving around the city of Parmelee to go door-to-door and let people know that food was being served. This was the group that I helped out with. Danny (1st grade teacher), Ira (3rd grade paraprofessional) and I. Ira would tell us where people were lived, or which houses were unoccupied, Danny and I would then jump out of the car. Divide and conquer. Many times doors were frozen shut, so we had to go around back to let people know there was food.
People were huddled around woodstoves, when there were no woodstoves, people were just sitting trying to stay warm. Kids, were still running around outside playing, as you would expect them to do when there are several foot snow drifts on the ground. The most eye opening moment came when we were pretty much done knocking on doors.
Danny and I decided to drive to the outskirts of town to let people know there was food, as it was getting to be dark. As we were driving out of town we saw an old man with a cane walking out of town. Assuming he was walking to one of the houses that was several hundred yards out, we stopped, asked if he wanted a ride and helped him into the car. Upon getting into the car we went through the usual round of ‘hello’ and ‘how are you.’ We then asked the man where he was headed, and he responded ‘Valentine.’ Danny and I are absolutely shocked by this. Valentine is 60 miles away. 60 miles. An old man with a cane was about to walk 60 miles in 30-degree weather. He then goes on to tell us that he lives in Valentine and came up to Parmelee to check on his son, only to discover that they are without power and that is son is in the hospital in Sioux Falls. He then said that he would go to Upper Cut Meat community. We offered to drive him the 7 miles to Upper Cut so that he could stay with family for the night.
contacts
4. Contacts
November 10th
Governor Mike Round’s office was called and a representative told us that nothing could be done to support Parmelee unless the Tribal President asked for assistance.
Senator Tim Johnson’s office was called and a representative told us that nothing could be done to support Parmelee unless the Tribal President asked for assistance.
November 11th
Keloland TV station came down to conduct interviews as well as report on the situation in Parmelee.
Governor Mike Round’s Office was contacted, via voicemail, asking for support in putting up power lines to Parmelee. Due to Veteran’s Day the office was closed
Senator John Thune’s Office was contacted, via voicemail, asking for support in putting up power lines to Parmelee.
Senator Tim Johnson’s Office was contacted, via voicemail, asking for support in putting up power lines to Parmelee.
Representative Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin’s Office was contacted, via voicemail, asking for support in putting up power lines in Parmelee.
November 12th
Representative Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin’s office called back telling us to call South Dakota Emergency Management to get more information about when power will be restored to the Parmelee community.
South Dakota Emergency Management called back telling us that power should be restored in 4-5 days. The time delay is caused largely to poles that are in hard to reach places and soft ground due to the melted snow.
Cherry-Todd Electric, who is partnering with Lacreek to fix downed poles, notified us that it could take up to 10 more days for power to be restored to the Parmelee community.
FEMA was contacted via email and they responded “Please contact your local Office of Emergency Services and report your situation. If enough people call to report their situation, they may provide the information to your Governor to consider.” *We are currently trying to find the number for this office, if you have it please forward it our way.
2 Comments »
the parmelee community does need assistance ASAP. i had to borrow money from sister to get my grandchildren,children and myself to warm place because i was running low on propane. during all the hard times our community has seen we are fortunate that we have not lost anyone because of this disaster.ii i will do what i can to assist my community when i return on wednesday.we need to set a system where if something like this happens again people will have a place to go. the churches are helping and i am very thankful for that - thank you
I do not understand the interaction of the Tribal President with Goverment and State Goverment, but our people of Rosebud are suffering, so why wouldn’t the Tribal President ask for assistance. At some point you would think the Governor would be able to step in.
Your comment
thank you to the private supporters
Kevin westcott and his family friends and church have brought a generator for the Lords warrrior church where members prepare and serve food and allow people a place to warm up. candles and food bank supplies have helped with the needs of the community. Kevins 80 + year old mother brought carrots and other garden stuff and Kevin cooked pancakes two nights in a row.
Joe and Charlotte horizon leadership participants have been managing the shelter along with Earl Weiss an elder who lives in the rural area several miles from Parmelee. the big crow family and the Little thunder family have also been helping at the church. A group people from a North Carolina chuch are in Mission helping with the feast of nations but took time to come to Parmelee to bring a meal and vist with the community, The Republican women of pennington county and the Prairie Lights
bible school sent snacks and candles and lamp oil to the chuch to help.
The Horizons of Parmelee and the Lords warriors church thank all of the people who are giving their time and supplies. The valentine commun ity broght supplies and
the community also thanks Barb from the lake view community who brought blankets which had been sent from Michigan along with Carla from the Assembly of God church who brought lamp oil and candles and blankets to Parmelee assisting her were the North Carolina group.
The teachers from He Dog and the youth from North carolina brought games and taught the youth some new activities as the electronic age disappeared with the electricity.
82 year old and the storm
11/10/2008
82-Year-Old Surviving Without Electricity
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The entire town of Parmelee has been without electricity since Thursday and the 650 residents are doing what they can to survive in the cold.
The town just got phone service back Sunday. Eighty-two-year-old Susan Kary, who told KELOLAND News by phone, some people are taking shelter at a church, but not her.
“I’m at home, I have flashlights and a wood stove so I’m not cold,” said Kary.
Kary says she, along with a lot of others have no running water, so they’re having to haul it in. Electric crews have told them it could be two or three more days until the electricity is back on.
They have been feeding people, who have no means of making a hot meal, at the church
update
Relief agencies are opening more shelters in western South Dakota to help people still without electricity after last week’s blizzard.
The Red Cross says three shelters have opened on the Rosebud Indian Reservation for several hundred people said to need help.
Volunteers from throughout the state and Nebraska are helping at the shelters.
kelo land update
Work continues to restore electricity nearly a week after a two-day blizzard in western South Dakota. About 150 workers from electric utilities outside the area are helping set poles and string transmission line. Deep snow and blocked roads have slowed the effort.
Brenda Kleinjan with the Rural Electric Association says some 1,400 people were without power on Wednesday.
She says damage is “significant” and it could be another week before all the lights are on again.
The REA says 2,300 power poles are down and some of the electric lines are under 3 to 6 feet of snow
11/11/2008
Powerless In Parmelee
11/11/2008
Powerless In Parmelee
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Residents on South Dakota’s Indian reservations are still without power tonight following last week’s snow storm. It could be another week before electricity is restored to some towns. But to make matters even worse, up until Tuesday help that is available from outside organizations, like the Red Cross, has not been reaching some reservations.
It only took a few snapped poles to cut power to entire communities on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. Parmelee is just one example of the several towns still waiting for electricity to be restored.
“They’re all without power, they’re running out of water and they’re running out of food,” Sandra Kallenberg says.
Sandra Kallenberg and a few others tried to ease those worries by cooking their own food for residents at the school and making deliveries in town, but power went out for the only building that still had an active line running to it, leaving around 2,000 people in the immediate area to wonder when their next warm meal would be. Kallenberg says without approval from tribal leaders, no outside help from organizations like the Red Cross or Salvation Army can be accepted.
“We’ve talked to the tribal staff, we have yet to hear from them, I know they’re working on something but everything here is a little laid back but this is a need that’s been going on for days,” Kallenberg says.
Wednesday marks a week without power for people in Parmelee, and it could be another week before it’s restored to all the residents, so until then, people have been coming to churches that are outfitted with generators and doing whatever they can to stay warm.
“People are burning mattresses, people are burning clothes and tires to try to keep fires going in their houses, a number of people have left town, some of the churches are providing food,” Kallenberg says.
But Kallenberg says there’s only so much a few people can do to help the struggling community.
“We do what we can, but we need help,” Kallenberg says.
The Black Hills Chapter of the American Red Cross has set up a dining hall/temporary shelter at the St. Agnes Church in Parmelee.
If you’d like to help the residents in Parmelee, a group of teachers has set up a website for donations.
Click here.
Karla Ramaekers
© 2008 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
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Posts
Residents on South Dakota’s Indian reservations are still without power tonight following last week’s snow storm. It could be another week before electricity is restored to some towns. But to make matters even worse, up until Tuesday help that is available from outside organizations, like the Red Cross, has not been reaching some reservations.
It only took a few snapped poles to cut power to entire communities on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. Parmelee is just one example of the several towns still waiting for electricity to be restored.
“They’re all without power, they’re running out of water and they’re running out of food,” Sandra Kallenberg says.
Sandra Kallenberg and a few others tried to ease those worries by cooking their own food for residents at the school and making deliveries in town, but power went out for the only building that still had an active line running to it, leaving around 2,000 people in the immediate area to wonder when their next warm meal would be. Kallenberg says without approval from tribal leaders, no outside help from organizations like the Red Cross or Salvation Army can be accepted.
“We’ve talked to the tribal staff, we have yet to hear from them, I know they’re working on something but everything here is a little laid back but this is a need that’s been going on for days,” Kallenberg says.
Wednesday marks a week without power for people in Parmelee, and it could be another week before it’s restored to all the residents, so until then, people have been coming to churches that are outfitted with generators and doing whatever they can to stay warm.
“People are burning mattresses, people are burning clothes and tires to try to keep fires going in their houses, a number of people have left town, some of the churches are providing food,” Kallenberg says.
But Kallenberg says there’s only so much a few people can do to help the struggling community.
“We do what we can, but we need help,” Kallenberg says.
The Black Hills Chapter of the American Red Cross has set up a dining hall/temporary shelter at the St. Agnes Church in Parmelee.
If you’d like to help the residents in Parmelee, a group of teachers has set up a website for donations.
Click here.
Karla Ramaekers
© 2008 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
powerless and the storm
1. Powerless
On Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations were hit with a massive blizzard that blanketed a great deal of the South Dakota with ice and snow. 7 days later, the reservations remain powerless. We created this blog to tell the stories of what has happened during this time.
4 Comments »
Tuesday Nov. 11.
LaCreek Elec. has enlisted the assistance of several outside utilities and private contractors. Many crews have arrived to assist.
The SD National Guard, local contractors and farmer/ranchers with heavy equipment are also assisting with opening roads, trails and pulling trucks thru the snow and mud to the downed lines and approx. estimated 1000 broken poles.
Progress is slow as the snow and now muddy conditions hamper the work. Poles must be hauled to the area, trucks have to get to the broken poles and dig and set new ones. New cross members have to be built. Some areas need new wire strung and for that the wire has to be located and trucked in. All supplies for repairs have to be located and trucked in from where ever it is available.
Laborers on foot have been pulling the wire out of snow drifts so it can be re-hung.
At this time the concentration is on getting the communities power by repairing the larger transmission lines. Several crews are working south of Wanblee to Long Valley and very soon north to Kadoka. A 20 man private contractor crew is assisting on 10 miles of downed line to Parmalee.
OST officials have set up a shelter at Wanblee School and are delivering supplies to the areas without power. Food, water, lamps, lamp oil, diapers and other necessary items are being delivered.
During the next few days, warm weather will hamper the effort by melting and creating very muddy conditions and trucks will not be able to get across country unless they are pulled by dozers and 4 wheel loaders with chains on the tires.
This is a very big, expensive, time consuming venture. A lot of coordination is necessary. Some of the outlying (homes and farms) areas have not even been investigated fully to determine total damage. Those areas can probably expect at least another week or more before power can be fully restored depending on the ability of trucks and men to get to them. With the warmer weather and the soft ground, travel is difficult on dirt roads and especially off the roads to get to the poles and downed lines. One nice thing about the warm weather is that the workers can work easier with less stress from cold and the 8″ thick ice is melting off the lines.
Every truck is needing to be pulled as the weather warms and conditions get muddier. Patience will be needed for a long duration in many areas.
Please check on your neighbor to access their need and that they are safe and warm.
we did a food drive for you all here at the elementary in Crow Creek. Who would be the contact person so we can deliver them.
Reservation blizzard update « boyce upholt wrote @ November 12, 2008 at 7:00 pm
[…] of the He Dog teachers have created a blog to call attention to what’s going on in […]
Thank You, Marcia & thank you Crow Creek. We appreciate your generosity.
times like this we need to pull together and help one another.
Once again, Thank You for your support!!!