After a heavy winter snowfall melting off and some heavy rain in the last week, Fargo is being threatened by the rising Red River. Weather forecasters are predicting a peak flood level on Saturday about a foot over the 1897 record. They’re frantically filling sandbags in the Fargodome.
Any Dopers in the area? I spent last summer working there right next to the river and checking how high on our measuring stake the water had risen, so I’ve got a personal interest. We spent days hoping we wouldn’t end up needing to build a dike ourselves.
We’ve got family in Fargo and Grand Forks. I was in Grand Forks during the '97 flood (and susequent fire that destroyed part of downtown GF). My mom still lives in Forks, and the crest could exceed '97, but I talked to her last night and it sounds like they think the new flood walls are going to keep the water in the river this time. I think Fargo is effed in the a, though.
I was in Winnipeg in the spring of 1997. Fargo and Grand Forks had a terrible time of it. Come to remember, Winnipeg weren’t no picnic that year, either - I learned more about sewer backflow valves than I ever wanted or needed…
I too was in Winnipeg in 97. Spent a couple weeks worth of evenings volunteer sandbagging, then watched in amazement as the floodway was juuuuuuust enough to keep the water at bay in the city. So this year will be yet another when Duff’s hairbrained scheme saves a couple billion in property damage. Best of luck to everyone in the flood zone.
It looks like it’s going to be worse than that. News accounts indicate that at this point, they really have no idea how bad it could get, because now it’s worse than it’s every been, ever.
Here’s good thoughts for Dopers and their friends/families in Fargo, Moorhead, Bismarck, and across the Red River Valley.
