It's been almost a year since a devastating storm hit Bemidji. The derecho brought with it hurricane strength winds that downed a vast number of trees and caused nearly $10 million in damages to city infrastructure.
At Monday’s city council meeting Mayor Jorge Prince will be recognized for his leadership throughout the storm's aftermath with a national award.
Called the Tommy Longo Disaster Leadership Award, it celebrates city and county officials who exemplify great leadership following major disasters, like the major storm that hit Bemidji last summer. It was created by the nonprofit LeadersLink, which offers community leaders guidance after a disaster.
Prince will be the fourth recipient of the award and the first from the Midwest region of the U.S.
Prince said one of the biggest challenges he faced following the storm was helping coordinate relief efforts among multiple entities. He said the relationships city governments build with local nonprofits, elected officials, the county and other municipalities prior to any type of catastrophe are the most important and critical.
And he credits that line of thinking with how fast Bemidji went into relief mode in the days following the storm.
"Suddenly, we're working in collaboration very, very closely,” Prince said. “We leaned into those relationships that had been built before."
Prince said he also knew he had to stay level-headed. Nine million trees were downed, people’s properties were damaged or even destroyed, and thousands of residents went without power for nearly a week because of the storm.
"You have to really maintain a very calm demeanor through things that are very emotional, because your community is looking to you for leadership,” Prince said. “They're looking to know that the situation is being worked on and that progress is being made."
But he said that wasn’t always easy, given the stress people were under.
That stress was palpable last June at the Sanford Convention Center, where an emergency shelter had been set up.
"My daughter got very sick yesterday, was throwing up because of the humidity,” Bemidji resident Debby Yates told MPR News a few days after the storm. “We've been taking lots of ice water, kind of pat downs, and my dogs have been too hot. [We’re] just trying to make it through.”
Mayor Prince kept people calm under those circumstances, said Luke Fischer, executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities.
It represents just about every city in the state and provides resources and guidance for city leaders. Prince is a board member.
Fischer nominated Prince for the national award. He said the mayor’s proactive approach to communication throughout the storm's aftermath was crucial.
Fischer commended how well the mayor kept people updated, which prevented them from looking for answers on their own and potentially distracting city workers who were trying to get their jobs done.
"Jorge was available, providing updates to people, listening to what people's concerns were, and really partnering closely with city staff,” Fischer said. “That partnership gave the folks that were out clearing the roads and turning off gas mains and doing all the important work a lot of room to get their things done, all while keeping the public informed."
Prince joined a field of award nominees from around the country who led their communities through wildfires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes. Brian Desloge was one of three judges on the panel that chose who would receive the award. He has over 15 years of experience navigating natural disasters in the panhandle of Florida.
Desloge said he was impressed with Prince being able to coordinate cleanup efforts within 72 hours of the storm. It was described as “a rapid, locally driven response that minimized secondary hazards.”
“I thought he mapped out a plan, executed the plan, and followed through on it, and that's the sign of a true leader,” he said.
Prince stresses that while his name will be on the award, it isn’t just for him.
“This has to be an award for our entire community,” he said. “Because each of us had a role, each of us had a responsibility.”
Prince said in the weeks following the storm, he saw the community come together in ways he’d never seen before.
