We know how they feel. Austin residents felt their share of tremendous flooding in 1978, 2004 and last year when Gov. Tim Pawlenty declared Mower County a state of emergency.

For 2009, the Fargo-Moorhead area faces its own flooding problems, and several Austin volunteers joined the fight last week.

Tammy Flicek and Bridget Konken, members of the Salvation Army Austin Corps volunteers, left Thursday morning to assist volunteers in the disaster area.

Flicek is volunteer coordinator and disaster services coordinator for the Austin Corps, while Konken is the assistant office manager.

The two are slated to return April 30.

Flooding, like most other disasters, takes a joint-effort of local and state officials, residents and volunteers to both fight and to then recover from.

It takes people such as Flicek and Konken.

It’s a good thing when Austin volunteers are able to lend their help and skills to others who are in need of it.

After all, the next time Austin is in emergency, volunteers across the state and the region will most likely help us out as well.