Major flood threat increases for Red River, Fargo metro area
Posted Mar 7, 2019 02:57:45 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FARGO, N.D. — Forecasters said Thursday that the threat for major spring flooding is increasing in the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota, where the neighbouring cities of Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, have been trying to improve their defences since a record flood 10 years ago.
There’s a 50 per cent chance the river will reach the major flood stage of 35 feet in Fargo-Moorhead, the National Weather Service said. That’s 4 feet higher than the most recent flooding outlook, which was issued last month. The threat is expected to worsen, still, with the expected arrival of two storms in the next week that will dump plenty of moisture.
“It really depends on March,” Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney said. “We’re a little bit concerned at this point, but it’s perfectly able to be handled right now.”
The two cities have taken several steps to decrease the threat since the record flood of 2009, when the river crested at about 41 feet, including buying out homes in the most vulnerable areas and building new levees. Now, Fargo would need to start sandbagging in certain areas at 38 feet. Greg Gust, a weather service forecaster, said at the current predicted river levels, Fargo would have to shut down a couple of roads, a bridge and “maybe test some of the flood walls.”
The weather service is also warning of an elevated flooding risk in Nebraska and Iowa this year because of this winter’s heavy snowfall, wet soil and rivers and streams that are already running high.
Earl Imler, of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, said huge chunks of ice could cause flooding along several Nebraska rivers this spring, but it depends on how quickly the weather warms up.
Iowa officials said they have prepositioned pumps, sandbags and other flood-fighting equipment throughout the state so that they’ll be ready to respond quickly, if necessary.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said it has the full flood storage space available in the reservoirs, so it’s in good shape headed into the year.
The Associated Press
