Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the 2024 floods. As such, I’ve been thinking about that community effort and how proud it makes me feel.

A year prior, heavy rains had brought the Des Moines River to a near-decade high. The National Weather Service alerted us to the possibility of disaster. But Webster County didn’t wait. EMA, township authorities, volunteers, and others took action.

The sandbag stations materialized in Fort Dodge, Lehigh, Otho. Neighbors, families, workers – even outsiders beyond our county – came. They packaged bags, doled out water, made donations of food and supplies. Teams created flood maps, managed donations, and posted updates so everybody would know what to expect.

This is what a community looks like when we get together not because we have to, but because we are who we are. It didn’t care who you were, where you came from, or how old you were. You said, “What do you need?” and then you did.

By Sunday, sandbag lines snaked through Hydro‒Electric Park, Amigos, the Otho center, and on into the evening, the crowds continued to arrive. By Monday morning, hundreds of volunteers had stacked up thousands of bags and transported them to homes and businesses within the flood areas.

That’s the entire idea. We did not wait to receive orders or guidance. We understood this was serious business. Therefore, we took action. Collectively.

I understand government intervenes behind the scenes. We coordinate behind the scenes, monitor rivers, lay out resources, and coordinate logistics. But it’s your hands, your truck, your time that get the job done. It’s all of us.

That’s the “WE” of Webster County. We saw needs and filled them. We coordinated and delivered. We cared for each and every one of our neighbors – town, farm, or riverside.

This, I think, is what public service must be. Not top-down. Shared responsibility. Sure, it gets messy sometimes, but it’s genuine.

So today, even though we thankfully didn’t see the river levels where we initially were told they’d be, I want to say thank you. To every volunteer who rose early, who worked late, or who carried a sandbag. To EMA staff, to our first responders, and crews. You preserved homes and alleviated concern. You demonstrated what community is all about.

As we look back on the flood, let’s remember how we came together. Let’s be ready to do so again – whatever comes our way. That’s the way we keep Webster County strong. That’s what Webster County is all about.

Thank you for stepping up, showing up, and caring. That’s the kind of community I’m proud to serve.

Niki Conrad is the chairwoman of the Webster County Board of Supervisors.