With the Red River continuing to rise and expected to crest at more than 20 feet above flood stage, communities in North Dakota and Minnesota are preparing for widespread flooding. Weather forecasters are expecting that the river may approach the record levels seen just last year, potentially flooding hundreds of square miles.
The filling of sandbags and reinforcing dikes and levees has taken on a sense of urgency along the river.
In Fargo, North Dakota, the Red River was already nearly 13 feet above flood level Wednesday morning – major flood stage by National Weather Service standards. It is forecast to rise seven more feet by Sunday morning.
NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco warned in a statement that it flooding is likely to be extensive. “It’s a terrible case of déjà vu, but this time the flooding will likely be more widespread. As the spring thaw melts the snowpack, saturated and frozen ground in the Midwest will exacerbate the flooding of the flat terrain and feed rising rivers and streams.”