After more than 100 years, a landmark in the community of Cook, Minnesota, is facing closure after flooding devastated the town.

The building, which has been standing since 1908, is home to the Montana Café. On Tuesday evening, June 18, heavy rain flooded the crawl space. The owners were able to pump out the water, but the following evening, floodwaters from the surging Little Fork River inundated the building, and the entire café was under a foot of water.

While some inventory and equipment could be salvaged, much of it had to be disposed of. An initial inspection by a contractor revealed that repairs could be difficult due to age and excessive moisture.

Megan Strong has owned Montana Café since 2018. After salvaging some of her inventory, she was able to open a pop-up stand outside to sell some of it. However, authorities have barred her from re-entering the building due to concerns about its structural integrity. The city government has hired a structural engineer to assess the damage, but he has not yet been able to inspect the building.

Strong says her insurance will not cover the damage.

“It looks like a total loss. My insurance says I don't seem to be insured against flooding. They're not going to cover any damage. So it's hard to make a decision and figure out where to go from here,” Strong said.

Since 1970, the building has housed a café.

“I feel it's a loss. And a lot of other people in the city are quite emotional, simply because it's such a landmark.”

Community members have stepped up to help Strong. Volunteers helped clear out the building and a local grocery store stocked some of the rescued supplies.

Strong's sister, Krystal Brodeen, started a GoFundMe and has raised over $15,000 so far.

On Saturday, June 29, a state of emergency was declared due to massive flooding in 22 counties in the state of Minnesota.