Updates on Red River Flooding (ND/MN)

[uppityperson]

I grew up in Fargo, now live on the W coast. I still have family and friends their, and have been watching the last few days. I have hoped to be able to interpret where and what they are talking about, as our DUers who live there have been very busy and very stressed.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/235503/group/home/

Red River now forecasted to crest Sunday
FARGO - The National Weather Service now forecasts the Red River will crest at 42 feet on Sunday, not Saturday as earlier predicted, but could still go as high as 43 feet.

By: Forum staff report, INFORUM

FARGO - The National Weather Service now forecasts the Red River will crest at 42 feet on Sunday, not Saturday as earlier predicted, but could still go as high as 43 feet.

The service's Web site shows the river cresting at 42 feet midday Sunday.

This means that the dikes have to hold another day, with it cresting a day later. So far there have been minor leaks, that I have been able to find. Varied places have been evacuated, some due to flooding past sandbags and dikes and levees, some due to concern that sewers will back up into houses, some due to concerns that if something fails, the roads will be impassable.

It is 15 degrees out, more snow is expected in the next couple days but the freezing weather means that the snow won't melt and add to the drainage.


http://www.areavoices.com/springflood/?blog=47105

1,850 ND Guard members to be in Fargo Saturday

From traffic control to dike patrol, nearly 2,000 National Guard members left their homes today to help save the homes in Fargo. By Saturday, there will be 1,850 National Guard members here in the Fargo area to help in the final days of the flood fight, said Don Larson of Gov. John Hoeven's office.

"That's an astonishing number of soliders activated at the same time and they're doing it well," he said. "They have day jobs they left to come fight." There was a "quite a lag time" before Guard members arrived in Cass County Friday to monitor pumps and levees, said County Administrator Bonnie Johnson.

Four Guard members arrived at 8 p.m. after officials made several calls to find out when they'd be arriving, Johnson said. Another 20 members arrived after 9 p.m. The members also will be making sure homes that have been evacuated are secure....(more)

http://www.areavoices.com/springflood/?blog=47103

Minnesota Guard soldiers heading to Moorhead

Soldiers from the Duluth-based 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry have been activated to support local flood response efforts in the Red River Valley. The 50 soldiers traveled to Camp Ripley, Minn., where they will stage and prepare for duty in Moorhead this weekend.

More than 450 Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers from the Moorhead-based 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry have been supporting flood fighting activities all week.

The St. Paul-based 133rd Airlift Wing and Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing continue to support the effort with two Joint Communications Platform (JCP) trailers. The trailers can provide satellite, telephone, radio, data and wireless capabilities allowing officials to lead flood-fighting even when the area suffers power outages.

I-94 is open from Jamestown east to Fargo again, for eastbound traffic. Major throughways around town are open again.

Edited to add the chart of record floods:


edited to also add this nice map, showing the Red River, and where Lake Agassiz was since it is located on the lakebed. This means it is flat, with minor elevation changes. Water flows over the land when it is wet enough, into the rivers. 1 inch of rain on a brazillion acres makes the rivers rise fast since it is a lot of water. When the rivers overflow, it runs over the land.

[napi21]

1. Thanks for the interpretation. I used to work for GNC, and know a lot of people

from their Fargo plant. It was sold years ago and I wouldn't know how to get in touch with any of them now, but I still care. I went to Fargo twice during my years there, and I vaugly remember crossing the Red River to go to dinner in Moorhead. I know everything is very flat there, and flooding can be a real disaster. God help everyone who lives there.

[uppityperson]

4. GNC vitamins? Interesting.

Medicare has (one of their) billing office there. Microsoft has a plant also. My cousin is calling this a thousand yr flood, since it has passed the ht of the 500 yr one by a couple ft now. Is hoping they don't have to do this again for a while.

[napi21]

6. Yes, GNC vitamines. We did make sone there, but most of the products we made in Fargo were foods.

Drinks, and things like that. I can;t remember exacr=tly where the plant was located though. I hope they're all safe.

[Odin2005]

2. I hope all DUers around here are staying safe and helping when they can.

:grouphug:

[uppityperson]

3. I was going to do a shout out for you F/M/etc area people and here you are!

Hoping AndrewP is doing ok also.

[Duer 157099]

5. I wonder why I assume all rivers flow south?

I was surprised to see this river flows north!

Anyway, thanks for all the updates.

edit to add that earlier on Maddow show she had a small segment about the flooding and when she mentioned that the sandbagging effort was now moving to north Fargo, and they had been sandbagging in south Fargo all yesterday... I wondered about that. Suddenly it makes sense.

[Qanisqineq]

7. I've been living outside of ND for 11 years now

but my entire family lives in ND and MN. Most of them are being affected by this flood in a big way -- either in Fargo or near Jamestown. I can't do much from South Korea, where I live now, but I am thinking of them constantly and thinking of all the people there.