The photos and video of historic flooding in Duluth and northeastern Minnesota tell the tale better than words ever could. Here are some of the dramatic images.

East winds off Lake Superior brought more than a foot of new snow to Duluth and the north shore. It fell on top of the foot or so that came last Wednesday, giving the region as much snow in a week as it had over the whole winter until then.

All those media images of ruined roads and flooded-out buildings are not good for tourism, a major industry in Duluth, business owners in the region say.

The Duluth News Tribune says the Lake Superior region is perfectly suited for entombing nuclear waste and that before area residents reflexively cringe, they should consider the benefits.

While the state and federal bureaucracies slowly creep toward getting financial help to flood victims, a group of volunteers in the Duluth area is taking a do-it-yourself approach. Volunteers organizing a recovery fund for flood victims have raised $1 million. They say loan centers opening soon around the region will help residents who qualify get loans of up to $200,000.

A group of brave surfers were spotted hitting the waves on Lake Superior Friday. WDIO in Duluth reports the air temperature was near single digits, but the Great Lake was in the mid-30s. One of the surfers says he's been catching the waves for the past 15 years.

Everybody's pitching in to get flood-damaged Duluth back on its feet, including the city's younger residents. KAAL-TV reports that some local kids have set up a stand to sell lemonade and Rice Krispie treats at 50 cents a piece, and so far they've raised $50. The Lake Superior Zoo lost several animals in the recent flooding.

Three months before the Minnesota Department of Human Services recommended a methadone clinic in Duluth be shut down, a nonprofit accrediting agency said the Lake Superior Treatment Center "met or exceeded standards in many areas," the Duluth News Tribune. However, state investigators inspected the clinic in early August and found 56 violations of standards.