The head of the Red Cross in Minot, N.D., was given a helping hand over the weekend, when his Saskatchewan family descended on Minot to help him repair his house after this summer’s devastating flood.

Allan McGeough, who is originally from Regina, was one of 11,000 people forced out their homes when the swollen Souris River topped its banks and rushed into the city in June.

More than 2,000 of those people are still out of their homes, their residences too damaged to return.

Like many of them, McGeough and his wife Theresa are living in a temporary housing unit erected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

McGeough’s main focus over the past few months was helping thousands of flood victims deal with the aftermath of the disaster and find places to live, in his role as executive director of the American Red Cross in Minot.

That work has been slowing down in the past few weeks, and the McGeoughs have been able to turn their attention to their own situation.

This weekend, a crew of eight friends and family members from Regina drove to Minot to help repair their house.

“We’re just really fortunate to have family and friends come down and help us out,” said McGeough.

McGeough had to strip his home to the foundation and beams before rebuilding it. It needed new drywall and siding, as well as new finishings.

“As you can see, the windows and doors are going in,” he said. “So it’s going to look more like a house in the next couple of days.”

McGeough’s home sits in the centre of the flood zone. Many of the houses in his neighbourhood are too damaged to repair. Some are covered in mud up to the roof. Others, full of mould and debris, list sideways on their foundations.

There are a number of signs in front of homes declaring “I’m coming back,” but almost as many say “for sale.”

“We knew it was going to be pretty bad,” said McGeough’s nephew Matt Bialows. “We heard the water got up to the eavestroughs. Everybody just felt really bad for him.”

McGeough said it will be a relief to get out of the temporary housing unit.

“We’ve been told they’re winterized and winter shouldn’t be an issue, but we do have concerns.” he said. “We know what winter’s like around here. The same as in Saskatchewan.”

McGeough hopes to be back in his home by Christmas.