Raymond Residents Speak With KNSI About Evacuation and Train Derailment

(KNSI) – The entire city of Raymond, population just over 750, was temporarily evacuated after Thursday’s early morning train derailment.

Diane Macht and her husband were among them. They were first moved to Central Minnesota Christian School in Prinsburg and then nearby Unity Christian Reform Church. Macht tells KNSI News she is grateful for the efforts of everyone who put together a place to stay at the last moment.

“They’ve been very, very kind here. Very kind! The whole community is. They’ve been bringing food in food and water and they made all of this. Plus, they’re taking care of people in Raymond.”

Macht says her greatest fear for decades was what would happen if cars went off the tracks in the heart of her city.

“I worried when I was the newspaper editor here because our office was downtown. And we have some very big bins if you notice pretty big grain bins right across from the motorcycle shop. And I always thought what if? What if we had a train derailment right in the middle of town? But we never did.”

Macht says she is thankful Thursday’s incident wasn’t worse.

“It’s a blessing that there were no injuries. No damages to businesses. Just a bunch of tired firemen.”

Jeanne Pitts had emergency officials knocking on her door and telling her she had to evacuate. In the middle of the night, Pitts had to leave her pets behind.

“Oh, that was hard. That was hard! But the sheriff said that they will be okay. I believe them.

Pitts has lived in Raymond since 2009. She says until Thursday she had never worried about a train derailment and what it could mean for her. Pitts says she was filled with dread when she learned she was being forced from her place.

“Scared. Scared and upset. My stomach just went…whoosh. Yeah, I never thought that was gonna happen there in Raymond. Never.”

Displaced residents were allowed to return at about 11:00 a.m., roughly ten hours after the derailment occurred.

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