Grand Forks Mayor Pat Owens

Grand Forks Mayor Pat Owens worried Sunday about evacuating her 92-year-old father from his farm home, but she proved she’s not a quitter when she delivered an inspiring message that drew applause.

The mayor was fourth in a lineup of seven speakers during a news conference that was called to outline the latest bleak facts about the worst natural disaster in North Dakota’s history.

Owens announced a 24-hour curfew in mandatory evacuation zones. But she used most of her time to speak from her gut.

‘‘As I talk to you this morning, my own home is going under,’’ Owens said, ‘‘Now I’m in the same bucket with the rest of you.’’

In effect, she asked residents to be brave and keep drawing sustenance from each other. ‘‘I do not feel bad for one reason, because we will rebuild and we do have faith. Together, we will all come out of this, and our city will be courageous,’’ Owens said.

The mayor empathized with Grand Forks residents but asked them to focus on what’s most important. ‘‘It is very hard to turn away from your home and watch it go under water,’’ she said, ‘‘That home can be replaced, but the lives of our valuable citizens cannot be replaced.’’

Wearing a navy blue sweatshirt, the mayor pointed to the slogan that was emblazoned across the front. Encircling a yellow sun, it said, ‘‘Grand Forks: A Place of Excellence.’’

Addressing flood victims listening over the radio, Owens said, ‘‘I still believe in my heart today that that saying is true.

‘‘What makes a community a place to live is not the buildings or anything else in that community. It’s the people — the spirit and the faith that are in those people.’’

No deaths have been caused by the flood, and Owens said the safety of every resident remains her top concern. ‘‘Walk away from those homes. Walk away from those buildings,’’ she said, ‘‘We will rebuild and we will be stronger, and we will be in it together.’’

The mayor reminded residents that their plight has drawn support from people across the United States. She told them they are not fighting alone. She thanked the people from federal and state agencies who joined local officials and residents in battling the historic flood.

‘‘We have no differences at this point,‘‘ she said, ‘‘We are all in it together, and we will survive.’’

Later in the day, Owens said she didn’t have prepared remarks when she walked into the news conference. She simply spoke from her heart.

Owens, 56, spent 32 years of her life serving as the assistant to four Grand Forks mayors. Now, she’s leading the effort to fight the worst flood in the city’s history, and people are looking to her to spearhead recovery efforts.

‘‘I hope people will have a lot of patience,’’ Owens said, because the rebuilding effort will take time.

It appears she has plenty of support. As she left the Emergency Operations Center cafeteria, a food service worker thanked her for doing a great job. Ten minutes later, a man walked up to the mayor in a University of North Dakota parking lot and told her that his wife hopes she runs for governor. The man’s wife listened to the mayor’s news conference and was moved by what she heard.

‘‘People need to stick with me because I need them, too,’’ Owens said. ‘‘We have a future. We’ll rebuild as long as all our people are safe.’’

Now, Owens is a connection to the outside world. You can see her on CNN and ABC telling the nation about the devastation that’s swept her community.

But she’s more than a mayor. Sunday, she spent part of her day arranging for the U.S. Coast Guard to pick up her father, Willard Guerard. He turns 93 next month, and he lives alone on a farm five miles outside of East Grand Forks.

He was just fine until overland flooding forced his departure Sunday. ‘‘He would not leave his animals,’’ Owens said, so the Coast Guard let him take a dog and three cats into the helicopter.

Guerard was at home proudly monitoring his daughter’s interviews with the national media. Then, he was forced to abandon his home. Pushing the century mark himself, Guerard flew for the first time to flee the flood of the century.