Lake Poinsett Can't Take Much More

LAKE POINSETT, SD - All the rain overnight is not what they needed at Lake Poinsett.

Cabin owners have been battling high water all summer and an additional two and a half inches of rain means the flood fight has gone from bad to worse, leaving residents wondering how much more can they take.

It's finally calm at Lake Poinsett, but that's little consolation to people who live here who have been fighting a seemingly endless battle.

Without the wind blowing, you get a good idea of just how high the lake is.

Darvin Holter has survived three floods, but this year it's the highest he's ever seen this late in the summer.

"I've just never seen this much rain and water in July," Holter said.

In 1997, Holter raised his house by three feet. Good thing he did because so far his house is dry. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for his neighbors.

The water's already swallowed up the sea wall Holter built with rocks and he worries he could be fighting a losing battle if they get any more rain. 

"The problem is the farm ground is so saturated, anymore it won't take.  Anything we get just runs off," Holter said.

Sandbags have done little to stop the force of Mother Nature. And although it's July, with so much standing water, Holter is already beginning to worry about cold weather. 

"If we freeze up this high this winter, we're really in trouble then because there's going to be a lot of buildings gone.  The ice is going to take her," Holter said.

But for now, he'll keep fighting because that's all he can do to try and save his retirement home. 

"We were really proud of this place you know.  It looks like crap now," Holter said.