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Offline pmp6nl

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Fargo Flood
« on: March 23, 2009, 01:06:09 AM »
Well Fargo is flooding and its suppose to get worse.

Quote
FROM BAD TO WORSE: Forecast flood crest earlier, higher than first thought
F-M area steps up efforts upon hearing news.  Fargo-Moorhead and surrounding areas were inundated with bad news Sunday with a new predicted Red River flood crest that now could reach 39 to 41 feet and arrive as early as Friday – a foot higher and day earlier than originally forecast.

By: Patrick Springer, INFORUM

Fargo-Moorhead and surrounding areas were inundated with bad news Sunday with a new predicted Red River flood crest that now could reach 39 to 41 feet and arrive as early as Friday – a foot higher and day earlier than originally forecast.

Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker pleaded for stepped-up volunteer efforts as the city races to prepare for a flood that now appears likely to surpass the flood of 1997, which crested at 39.57 feet.

The worst recorded flood in Fargo’s history was 1897, when the Red River climbed to 40.1 feet.

“Volunteers – it’s time to take this thing seriously,” Walaker said in a news conference Sunday afternoon, as a light rain began falling – the beginning of several days of forecast heavy rains falling on ground already saturated from fall rains and a sudden spring thaw.

To handle the higher crest, the number of sandbags needed to protect Fargo has jumped to 2 million – a daunting task given the next couple of days of rains turning to snow expected to hamper efforts at a critical time.

The higher projected river levels also mean more Fargo neighborhoods will be threatened and will require protection, in most cases a layer or two of sandbags, city officials said.

Engineers on Monday will issue a list of threatened neighborhoods in addition to the approximately 13 originally slated for protection.

The most immediate focus in Fargo: neighborhoods along the river between 32nd and 40th avenues south, an area that will require an estimated 350,000 sandbags.

“Our first line of protection is along the river,” Walaker said. Truckloads of sandbags began pouring into southernmost Fargo Sunday.

Besides the ongoing plea for volunteers, city officials made multiple appeals for residents to cooperate, including a request for gawkers to stay away from areas near the river or areas where dikes or sandbagging operations are under way.

Issues area officials addressed Sunday:

E A major concern is traffic that will intensify today as thousands of people return to work. Police Chief Keith Ternes urged motorists to choose north-south routes as far from the river as possible and to use Interstates 29 and 94, if possible.

E Code Red alerts will be broadcast via telephone to areas of town that are not threatened, with a request that neighbors walk to nearby areas to help in sandbagging.

E Worsening weather conditions, with heavy rains turning to snow, will compound an already daunting task of protecting the city.

“What’s scary right now is the weather,” Walaker said, noting that the city’s past flood fights generally occurred in favorable weather.

Conditions will become especially difficult after temperatures fall below freezing Tuesday and Wednesday, making sandbags rigid and resulting in a porous barrier.

“You can’t place frozen sandbags,” Walaker said.

Despite the mounting challenges, the mayor said he remains “cautiously optimistic” the area will be able to beat the flood, as it has in many years past.

He estimated earthen dikes were mostly complete late Sunday, with some nearly complete. The higher crest, however, means dikes now must be raised another foot or so.

Still, the mayor said contingency plans are being made for an evacuation, in the event that becomes necessary, and people should take precautions, including moving valuable possessions upstairs.

One fear, Walaker said, is that the Sheyenne and Wild Rice rivers will flood overland and merge with the Red River – a confluence of water several miles wide that would have to make its way through the narrow funnel formed by levees in Fargo and Moorhead.

“It’s like an hour-glass that we’re forcing all this water through,” city manager Pat Zavoral said.

Officials emphasized, however, that the focus remains doing everything possible to beat the flood, and urged people to redouble their efforts.

City officials have been notified that at least 25 employers are releasing their employees to join the flood fight, along with Cass County Jail inmates, North Dakota State University football players, and public school students in grades 9 through 12.

Police are escorting trucks delivering sandbags, and people are urged to go to staging areas and take shuttle buses to the sandbag barricades.

“What we want to do is avoid any kind of chaos,” Walaker said. “To win this battle, we need your help, even more so.”

 

From: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/234981/

If you can help, come out and sandbag.  Right now they are sandbagging 24 hours a day. Just head to the Fargodome!
« Last Edit: March 23, 2009, 01:06:40 AM by pmp6nl »
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2009, 11:12:13 AM »
Quote
LATEST: Sandbag volunteers desperately needed as flood fight becomes "more daunting"
FARGO – The call for volunteers to help sandbag in the area’s fight against rising floodwaters went out again as local and state officials met this morning.

By: Forum staff reports, INFORUM

FARGO – The call for volunteers to help sandbag in the area’s fight against rising floodwaters went out again as local and state officials met this morning.

"We’re confident in getting them delivered,” Bruce Grubb, enterprise director for Fargo, said during the meeting. “Getting them made is more daunting.”

Sandbag volunteers are needed to make at least 300,000 sandbags per day to prevent widespread flooding through neighborhoods and subdivisions in Fargo and Cass County.

Officials said they need at least 350 sandbag volunteers around the clock, and a third sandbag-making machine is expected to arrive today.

The North Dakota National Guard has devoted 350 soldiers to help with the effort, and officials said they need all the help they can get from the public.

“That’s the only way we survived in ’97 was everybody pitching in,” Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker said.

In Fargo, the city is working on bolstering its defenses today in the central core of the city, including the Lindenwood area and south Fargo to address overland flows.

On the northside, crews are working in the El Zagal and Oak Street areas. They move onto the Oak Grove neighborhood and then move north to the Ridgewood area.

Cass County Engineer Keith Berndt said traffic will be “significantly impeded” as crews begin erecting dirt dikes on roads.

Gov. John Hoeven visited sandbag central earlier.

“The fight is in full gear here,” he said, adding that he’s “very concerned” about the flood-fighting effort in Fargo and Wahpeton.

Hoeven plans to visit Wahpeton today, too.

In addition, classes at North Dakota State University will be canceled at 9 a.m. Students from Fargo schools also will be helping.

So far, officials said about 560,000 have been filled, but the city previously said it needs 1.5 million to 2 million sandbags. Up to 3 million sandbags may be needed in Cass County.

Volunteers are asked to report directly to the Fargodome, where they can take a shuttle to areas which are in the greatest need.

On the Moorhead side, volunteer sandbags are asked to report directly to Nemzek Hall on the Minnesota State University Moorhead campus.

For more information, call (701) 476-4000.

Check www.inforum.com frequently for updates.

Through the duration of the anticipated flood, The Forum and WDAY AM 970 will be teaming up to bring timely, updated information on www.inforum.com, the www.areavoices.com/springflood blog and radio.

More than a dozen reporters and editors from The Forum, along with staff from WDAY radio, will be providing updates, including breaking news on WDAY AM 970.

Tune in to the radio station for the latest flood updates, weather forecast and breaking news. Reporters will be calling in live reports to WDAY as flood preparations begin in earnest Saturday, and during the coming week.

Forum reporters will bring listeners reports from throughout the area as they canvass neighborhoods to stay on top of the news.


From:  http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/235002/

Local schools, colleges, and universities have canceled classes to help in the fight.  This is as real as it gets!
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2009, 11:27:47 AM »
UND has not officially cancelled class, but the President is urging students to let their instructors know they will not be in class because they are helping sandbag.
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2009, 04:13:56 PM »
UND has not officially cancelled class, but the President is urging students to let their instructors know they will not be in class because they are helping sandbag.

Cool.  Hopefully some will come down and help.  It is only suppose to get worse until Friday.
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2009, 04:17:07 PM »
Lots of help has been coming down yesterday and today from what I hear. Student government is busing (always disliked that spelling) people down to the Fargodome three times a day.
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2009, 04:28:34 PM »
UND Flood Info: http://flood.und.edu

Quote from: Tyrone and Mike
Hello Everyone,

We will provide transportation to any students or faculty who would like to travel to Fargo to help with flood relief efforts. Professors have been encouraged by President Kelley (The message he sent is pasted below) to excuse students from any classes they miss while volunteering, but they must communicate with professors before helping with flood relief efforts. Student-specific excuse letters will be provided from Student Government after you return from volunteering, however if you have a test or major assignment there is no guarantee that you will be excused. If you have any trouble we will help you work the situation out with your professor.

There will be a bus departing from the Union on Monday at 1:00 p.m. and Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and possibly later in the week as well. Volunteers will be brought to the Fargo Dome, and from there buses will be leaving every 30 minutes to worksites around Fargo. We will help fill and place sandbags and/or help build dikes in 3-4 hour shifts. Buses will take people back to Grand Forks at the end of those shifts.

Any student or faculty who would like to help should visit the Student Government Office or contact us at 701-777-4377. Students will need to bring a student ID, and everyone will need rain gear, clothes they can get dirty, and, if possible, a cell phone. We will try to have snacks and water for the bus rides there and back, but volunteers may also want to bring additional snacks. Students will also need to sign a release form before they volunteer.

For updated information, please contact the Student Government Office at (701) 777-4377.]

Sincerely,

Tyrone & Mike




-------Message that went out to all faculty from President Kelley is below-------

Statement from UND President Robert Kelley On Students Helping Sandbag in Fargo:

I am gratified -- and not at all surprised -- that our students are eager to volunteer to assist our neighbors in Fargo in their flood preparation efforts.  Such concern for others is a hallmark of the University of North Dakota community.

Grand Forks and the UND campus are expected to be able to function effectively and safely as we look ahead.  We can help to make a difference in protecting Fargo.

Student volunteer efforts are being coordinated by the Student Government Association, working with the authorities in Fargo.  Students wishing to volunteer need to go to the Office of Student Government in the Memorial Union to sign in and to sign a release form.  Student Government is coordinating transportation to Fargo.

Students wishing to volunteer should contact faculty members in advance if classes would be missed.  Faculty members are encouraged to be supportive of students' volunteer efforts.  Verification of volunteer work will be available from the Student Government Association.


« Last Edit: March 24, 2009, 04:29:43 PM by Sal Atticum »
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2009, 09:21:16 PM »
Wow, that is really great!  It is nice seeing people from UND and other colleges/universities in the area helping out.  All of us in Fargo appreciate it!
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2009, 09:39:48 PM »
Wow, take a look at all of the news articles about the flood.  They are from all over the country and have even made front page news on some of the major sites.

http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news;_ylt=A0WTTkjVmMlJGpsAgwbQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBhNjRqazhxBHNlYwNzZWFyY2g-?p=fargo+flooding&c=&ei=UTF-8&fr=&x=wrt
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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2009, 09:23:28 PM »
They are now predicting up to 43ft  :-\


We even made some major news sites homepages:



Quote
Flood forecast worsens in tired Fargo
Red River could crest at 43 feet on Saturday; sandbaggers try to go higher

Associated Press
updated 5:16 p.m. CT, Thurs., March. 26, 2009

FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota's largest city moved to the brink of potentially disastrous flooding Thursday, with earlier optimism fading as officials issued an updated forecast with an even higher crest by the weekend.

The National Weather Service raised its Red River crest forecast at Fargo to as much as 43 feet. The service had been predicting a crest of 41 feet by Saturday afternoon. The new guidance is for the city to expect between 41 and 42 feet, but not to rule out 43 feet.

On top of that, the crest could run at that level for three to seven days, the service said.

Thousands of volunteers who have been piling sandbags for days scrambled Thursday to reach 43 feet for Fargo's dike protection, and official briefings lost the jokes and quips that had broken the tension earlier in the week. Instead, Thursday's meeting opened with a prayer.

"We need all the help we can get," Mayor Dennis Walaker said, calling the forecasts "uncharted territory" and noting that the Red's previous record high at Fargo was 40.1 feet — back in 1897.

Just across the river in Moorhead, Minn., where officials earlier had called for voluntary evacuations for several hundred homes on the city's south side, City Manager Michael Redlinger said: "Now everything's up in the air."

Redlinger said portions of the Moorhead dike could not be easily raised to withstand a 42-foot crest.

The town of Oakport, Minn., was also in dire straits. Oakport Township Chairman Greg Anderson said he 500 of the town's 550 homes are threatened, and some have already flooded.

Nursing homes move patients
Fargo, a city of 92,000, unveiled a contingency evacuation plan Thursday afternoon, but at least four nursing homes already had begun moving residents by then.

"A few of them said they didn't want to go. I said I'm going where the crowd goes," said 98-year-old Margaret "Dolly" Beaucage, who clasped rosary beads as she waited to leave Elim Care Center.

"I'm a swimmer," she said, smiling, "but not that good a swimmer."

The sandbag-making operation at the Fargodome churned as furiously as ever, sending fresh bags out to an estimated 6,000 volunteers who endured temperatures below 20 degrees in the race to sandbag to 43 feet. Leon Schlafmann, Fargo's emergency management director, said he was confident they would succeed by the end of Thursday.

"I was skeptical as far as volunteers coming out today, but they're like mailmen," Schlafmann said. "They come out rain, sleet or shine."

Schlafmann also said he is confident the dikes will hold even through several days of high water. "We might lose a neighborhood or a few homes, but we won't lose the whole city," he said.

Similar sandbagging was under way across the river in Moorhead. The city was setting up a shelter at its high school after calling for voluntary evacuations in a southern section.

Both entrances to the Crystal Creek development were flooded, leaving Deb and Scott Greelis thinking about how they and their kids — ages 6, 2 and 6 months — could get out if things get much worse.

"We are pretty much stuck in here," Deb Greelis said. But she said they could haul the kids in a sled to a nearby highway on higher ground if they need to evacuate.

Crews were rescuing stranded residents in rural areas south of Fargo. On Wednesday, 46 people were rescued by airboat from 15 homes, and Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney said early Thursday that he had received 11 more evacuation requests from homeowners.

'Sometimes nature wins'

As the river crept perilously close to houses built along the Red, residents held out hope that the final sandbagging effort would work. The southern parts of the city, mostly residential areas, were seen as most vulnerable, and the city was building contingency dikes behind the main dike in some areas.

Dick Bailly, 64, choked up as he looked out over his backyard dike at the river. Like other residents, Bailly thought the 41.5-foot height that many dikes were built to in recent days would be enough. That was before the National Weather Service, after days of projecting the crest at 39 to 41 feet, settled on the higher number Wednesday.

The river was almost 39 feet by midday Thursday and was expected to crest Saturday. The Red hit 39.57 feet in 1997, and the record is 40.1 feet in 1897.

"It was demoralizing this morning," Bailly said, his eyes welling. "We got a lot of work to do. People have the will to respond, but you can only fight nature so much, and sometimes nature wins."

On a sandbag line behind another house near the river, 65-year-old Will Wright, a veteran of Fargo floods, helped stack bags as water began to seep through his homemade dike. Like others, he said he was confident the dike would hold — for a while.

"The big concern I have is the river crest staying three to five days and it testing the integrity of these sandbags," Wright said.

In the Fargodome, public works official Bruce Grubb was struck by the variety of people helping out.

"Any time you see Bison football T-shirts and Sioux hockey T-shirts working side-by-side and smiling, we've really come together," Grubb said, referring to students from North Dakota State and its rival, the University of North Dakota.

Sandbags move to fast to freeze
Fargo's rush to sandbag eliminated a complication caused by the subfreezing weather. Sandbags had gotten frozen earlier in the week, making them difficult to stack tightly together; people were seen slamming bags to the ground to break them up.

Now the sandbags are moving too fast to freeze.

"They are stacking nicely," Fargo spokeswoman Bette Deede said.

The city said that if there is a levy breach and an evacuation is necessary, residents will be notified via sirens, an automated phone recorded message system and emergency broadcasts.

Walaker, the mayor, conceded that the city's optimism about holding back the flood waters had dimmed since earlier in the week. But he said people needed to stay confident.

"We do not want people to go out there and panic," he said. "That is not going to resolve anything."

He said he still believes the city will be OK.

"I was asked for odds last night," he said. "I would say we got a simple 3-, maybe 4-to-1 chance of beating this — and those are good odds at any race track in the United States."

Canadian side worried

On the Canadian side of the Red River, in Manitoba, ice-clogged culverts, ice jams and the rising river also threatened residents. At least 40 homes were evacuated in communities north of Winnipeg and several dozen houses were flooded as water spilled onto the flat landscape.

"We're in for probably the worst two weeks that this community has ever seen in its entire existence," said St. Clements Mayor Steve Strang.

The region's emergency services coordinator, Paul Guyader, said water levels in the area were dropping but residents are not letting their guard down: The Red River crest threatening North Dakota isn't expected to arrive in Manitoba for another week.

As the struggle continued in Fargo, the threat in the state capital of Bismarck was receding. A day after explosives were used to attack an ice jam on the Missouri River south of the city of 59,000, the river had fallen by 2 1/2 feet. At least 1,700 people had been evacuated from low-lying areas of town before the river began to fall.

President Barack Obama declared the entire state of North Dakota a disaster area late Tuesday in response to widespread flooding. The Minot Air Force Base was deploying two rescue helicopters to Bismarck, in case people need to be saved from floodwaters.

Mike Hall, who is in charge of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's North Dakota response to the flood, said the agency is shipping almost 20,000 meals, 4,500 blankets and hundreds of toiletry kits to the Grand Forks Air Force Base. From there, the supplies will be distributed as needed, Hall said.

More sandbagging was planned in part of Grand Forks, the city hardest hit by the 1997 Red River flood. An elaborate dike system was built after that disaster. The Red rose to 42.5 feet in Grand Forks by midday Wednesday with a crest near 52 feet projected for Monday. The record there was 54.4 feet, set in 1997.

From the AP
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2009, 10:45:24 PM »
Hospitals are evacuating and major roads are being shut down.
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2009, 09:14:40 AM »
Evacuation ordered for homes east of Fargo's Fourth Street South due to significant leak
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/112466/
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Offline Sal Atticum

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2009, 10:06:32 AM »
Maybe some hope?

Fargo officials confident dikes will hold; non-essential city business, travel discouraged

Quote
FARGO – City officials remain confident that Fargo’s earthen levees and sandbag dikes – perhaps more than 50 miles worth – have been built high enough to withstand the rising Red River.

Mayor Dennis Walaker said he anticipates the river cresting between 41½ to 42 feet Saturday, below the 43-foot barriers along the river and throughout drainage areas and coulees in the city.

"We are about 100 percent at what we can do," he said. "We have never had a failure in the past. It will be interesting if we get through the next week."

The city doesn’t plan to raise its levees to 44 feet, despite the National Weather Service forecasting a crest ranging between 41 to 43 feet.

“Do we think it’s a gamble? We don’t think so,” Walaker said. “The good news is the river’s rise is starting to slow down.”

The Red River stood at 40.48 feet at 8:15 this morning – six hours after breaking the previous crest record of 40.1 feet in 1897.

Since last night, Fargo has evacuated two areas – River Vili south of 52nd Avenue and a pocket of about 150 homes between the water treatment plant and Lindenwood Park – due to eroding dikes.

The mayor again asked all non-essential businesses to stay closed today, and discouraging any unnecessary travel. Fargo’s main thoroughfares will be closed to traffic that isn’t specifically related to flood fighting efforts.

“Now we’re going to focus on protecting everything we have now,” Walaker said. “If we’re going to go down, we’re going to go down swinging.”

Trucks loaded with supplies, including sandbags and pumps, will be located in neighborhoods to allow quick reaction to any possible problems areas.

City Commissioner Tim Mahoney said some of the concerns aren’t the height of the dikes, but whether they can withstand the force of the river.

The city continues to ask volunteers to fill sandbags at the Fargodome. Volunteers going to the building are asked to take Broadway or streets to the east until they reach 17th Avenue North, and then go west to the Fargodome.

Volunteers, in the past 6 ½ days, have produced about 3 million sandbags.

The travel ban issued last night remains in effect, and the following roads are closed except to flood truck traffic:

– University Drive between 35th Avenue North to 40th Avenue South

– 10th Street from 13th Avenue South to 19th Avenue North

– NP Avenue from University Drive to the river

– Seventh Avenue North from University Drive to the river

– 19th Avenue North from University Drive to Elm Street

In addition, the North Dakota National Guard will take over many dike-monitoring responsibilities and controlling traffic for flood truck traffic.

There will be 1,700 soldiers on the ground by 5 p.m.

In other new developments:

– Two planes will be used to transport some nursing home residents to other cities

– High-ranking officials from FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be visiting today

During this morning’s news conference, broadcast on Fargo’s public access channel, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for central Cass County for a dike breach near the city’s water treatment plant.

The alert was issued nearly seven hours after the city ordered residents to evacuate the area.

The city has built dikes to protect the water and sewage treatment plants to 44 feet.

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and the Herald are Forum Communications Co. newspapers.
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2009, 04:04:01 PM »
Lets hope they hold!
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2009, 04:13:04 PM »
Public schools are closing throughout the area next week.

More info about the flood can be found at: http://www.areavoices.com/springflood/
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #15 on: March 27, 2009, 04:24:32 PM »
Fargo Flood Update:  Sandbagging operations will cease at 6 p.m., and travel restrictions on major arterial roads will be lifted at that time.
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #16 on: March 28, 2009, 01:52:44 PM »
NDSU will remain closed until April 6th!
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Offline pmp6nl

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Re: Fargo Flood
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2009, 06:53:46 PM »
Take a look at this blog post to get a better idea of just how many sandbags were made in Fargo

It looks like more water is on the way  >:(

Quote
FLOOD UPDATE: Fargo, Cass County prepare to raise dikes
FARGO – Officials from Fargo remain optimistic in this year’s flood fight, but say they’re ready to raise levees if need be.
By: Forum staff reports, INFORUM

FARGO – Officials from Fargo remain optimistic in this year’s flood fight, but say they’re ready to raise levees if need be.

In rural subdivisions, where more than 100 homes sustained significant damage, Cass County Engineer Keith Berndt said everyone must stay realistic that a second wave of snowmelt and precipitation could bring a record crest.

“Don’t panic but certainly remain vigilant,” Berndt said.

The latest reading of the Red River was 33.42 feet at 8:15 this morning, down from the record 40.82 feet on March 28.

Forecasters say there’s a 90 percent chance the Red could reach 40.4 feet during a second crest April 15-22. They also said there’s a 75 percent chance the river could reach or top 41 feet.

Both city and county officials said they will raise sandbag levees, and earthen dikes are being topped off.

Fargo officials said they’ll hold neighborhood meetings, likely starting Tuesday night, to answer residents’ questions.

The city plans to put sandbags into areas that need reinforcement.

Mayor Dennis Walaker said he continues to believe the Red’s level will rise to 37 or 38 feet, but the city will prepare for 44 feet.

In Cass County, Berndt said that “well over 100 homes” sustained significant damage, including more than half in Forest River and all but two houses in Heritage Hills reported heavy losses. Several homes north of Fargo also have been damaged.

In a surprise appearance, Pat Owens, the former mayor of Grand Forks who led that city through its 1997 flood fight, offered support to Walaker.

“The last weeks have reminded me of the incredible ability of our communities come together,” Owens said, adding she was encouraged by students from Fargo and Grand Forks working together in the flood fight.

“We can be rivals at times. The human spirit makes us all one.”

She also said this spring’s battle, with it playing out in the national media, will help secure federal funding for flood control.

City Commissioner Tim Mahoney told residents to “be prepared” as the city may ask homeowners and volunteers to again turnout to build up sandbag levees.

From: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/236462/group/home/
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