# Fargo, ND fights off impending flood. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890 "2009-03-26T18:08:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/1 "2009-03-26T18:08:06Z")
After a heavy winter snowfall melting off and some heavy rain in the last week, Fargo is being threatened by the [rising Red River](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/us/27flood.html?_r=1&hp). 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. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/2 "2009-03-26T18:25:39Z")
Oh boy. This is going to be like [1997](http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/floods/redriver/geological_e.php) [all over again](http://www.ndsu.edu/fargo_geology/fldphotos1997.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/3 "2009-03-26T18:37:49Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/4 "2009-03-26T18:38:20Z")
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… Good luck to any ND dopers out there… ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/5 "2009-03-27T04:03:11Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/6 "2009-03-27T13:51:24Z")
Another 500 year flood? Seems like they come every 10 years! ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/7 "2009-03-27T16:50:40Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Oh boy. This is going to be like [1997](http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/floods/redriver/geological_e.php) [all over again](http://www.ndsu.edu/fargo_geology/fldphotos1997.htm). 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. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/8 "2009-03-27T16:57:24Z")
> [@Jodi](#): > > 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. Ahhh Bismarck is 200 miles from Red River Valley 🙂 {I was born and raised in Nodak} ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-nd-fights-off-impending-flood/490890/9 "2009-03-27T20:01:42Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > Ahhh Bismarck is 200 miles from Red River Valley 🙂 > > {I was born and raised in Nodak} I didn’t say Bismarck was in the Red River Valley. The last in the list was not inclusive of the first three, it was just last in the list.