Outlook improves

By Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Sunday, April 02, 2006

The Red River in Fargo was at 30.1 feet at 6 p.m. Saturday, and the rate of rise was decreasing, Mayor Bruce Furness said. By Saturday afternoon, the river had risen by 1 foot from an 8 a.m. reading.

“We’re feeling a lot better today than we were yesterday at this time,” he said.

Still, officials continued to prepare for the worst as the National Weather Service predicted rainfall through tonight.

Work continued in Fargo to build clay dikes and sandbag levees to 38 feet. Flood stage is 18 feet, and the 1997 flood reached 39.6 feet.

“If it stays right there, we can handle that,” Furness said.

Fargo was expected to receive about 0.2 inches of rain through tonight, while Wahpeton could receive a quarter-inch, said Brad Hopkins, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Grand Forks.

Fargo officials were encouraged by the fact that the Red River in Wahpeton crested at 15.95 feet Saturday morning and had dropped to 15.8 feet by 3 p.m. Saturday.

The weather service predicted a second crest today in Wahpeton at 16.3 feet, down from Friday’s crest prediction of 17 feet. Flood stage is 10 feet.

“It is showing a downturn right now, but we can’t discount any potential precipitation, so it might be a temporary dip,” Hopkins said.

There’s still a small amount of ice in the river, and a lot of water from tributaries has yet to pass through Wahpeton, said Brett Lambrecht, Richland County emergency manager.

“Right now, it’s just nice to see that everything’s stabilized,” he said.

Fargo’s biggest concern now is completing a clay dike between the river and City Hall, Furness said.

Northern Improvement Co. began working on the dike Saturday morning as water lapped at the curb on Second Street North. By late afternoon, Industrial Builders Inc. – which had just finished the Second Street dike near the Fargo High Rise – switched gears to help Northern Improvement close the gap.

Furness said he expects the dike to be finished today. It will use 10,000 yards of clay and dirt scraped from a stormwater retention pond in southwest Fargo, said Dave Johnson, senior city engineer.

At Rose Creek Golf Course in south Fargo, the city called for extra trucks to bring clay more quickly for a dike that will protect the clubhouse and Atonement Lutheran Church.

“We’re fighting water down there already in some of the low areas,” Johnson said.

Meanwhile, volunteers filled and stacked sandbags in an effort to protect 35 homes to a river level of 38 feet.

Fargo Public Works Director Dennis Walaker asked for more volunteers and said he hoped to have 50,000 to 100,000 sandbags filled by the end of today.

City officials received no reports of sewers backing up into homes. Furness thanked citizens for restricting water use and said they could return to normal usage.

The city opened stormwater gates to flood Mickelson Field and Edgewood Golf Course in an attempt to minimize damage when water begins spilling over the dike.

Moorhead and Clay County officials also continued to prepare for the worse.

City Engineer Bob Zimmerman encouraged residents to build dikes to handle a river level of 38 feet.

Moorhead dispersed 200 cubic yards of sand Saturday at three locations – Alm Park, Horn Park and the city’s Public Works garage, City Manager Bruce Messelt said.

Oakport Township, located on Moorhead’s outskirts, also organized sandbagging efforts.

Township board member Greg Anderson suggested residents cap or plug all sewer openings in the lower level of their homes.

Rapid flooding has already forced some residents to evacuate their homes.

Moorhead Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Wallin left his 100-year-old farmhouse Thursday evening after rising waters made his Glyndon home an island.

The home – located 1½ miles north of Highway 10 on County Road 68 – is surrounded by flooding caused by the Buffalo River and an overflowing drainage coulee.

He said he planned to use a boat late Saturday or early Sunday to check on the house.

For now his family, including his 3- and 6-year-old children, are staying with relatives in Fargo.

“It’s been a fun stay at grandma’s so far,” Wallin said.

Forum reporter Melinda Rogers contributed to this article. Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528

More info

-Fargo is planning daily news conferences at 10 a.m.

WDAY-AM 970 will broadcast those live.

-To reach Fargo city officials with flood questions, call (701)-241-1545.

-Moorhead flood information can also be found at www.cityofmoorhead.com

-Fargo street closings will be listed at www.fargostreets.com