“If my experiences in the Red River Basin are a good guide, there is already a certain level of concern with the high water in many locations and implications for 2012,” Mark Ewens, senior hydrometeorologist technician, said Tuesday.

Usually, a wet summer has little correlation to the following spring’s flood potential. But this is more than a wet summer, he said.

“With the current wet summer, following one of the wettest years regionally, even normal rain and/or snow over the next six months will dramatically increase the 2012 spring flood threat,” Ewens said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.

Click the link to read the rest of the story.

All signs point to another spring flood in valley [Inforum]

MINOT, ND (Minot Daily News) – Disastrous. Unstoppable. Historic. Unprecedented.

All words used to describe what city, county and state officials warn is an imminent assault on all residents of the Souris River Valley.

The highest flows ever recorded on the Souris are approaching a city whose defenses are destined to be over run. Can the city hold?

Dikes currently in place, recently improved greatly to combat high flows, are now expected to disappear under the traveling torrent. The amount of water flowing with a vengeance down the Souris River Valley is forecast to inundate Minot to a level seven to eight feet higher than the catastrophic and benchmark flood of 1969.

Saddened with that horrific knowledge, officials announced during a late afternoon press conference Monday that very little can be done to stop the powerful onslaught. Massive secondary dikes that were built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to save much of the town from the previous high on the Souris this year fall far short of defending against the impending and rapid rise of the Souris.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered Monday for all evacuation zones within Minot. Mayor Curt Zimbelman said all affected residents and businesses must vacate those areas no later than 10 p.m. Wednesday. Within minutes of the announcement residents once again began the laborious and hastened work of moving out of their homes for the second time this year.

Story courtesy The Minot Daily News… click to read the rest of the article.

‘It’s a sad day’ — Crest could be 10 feet higher than June 1 [Minot Daily News]

Meanwhile, widespread breakout flooding Sunday was causing the highest flood levels ever seen in northeastern Cass County and northwestern Clay County, the Weather Service said.

Saturday’s crest in the metro area ranks the 2011 flood as the fourth highest on record behind 1897 (39.10); 1997 (39.72) and 2009 (40.84).

Story courtesy The Forum… click the link to read more.
F-M sees crest; rural areas face worst flooding ever [Inforum]

The river gauge recorded minor fluctuations all day, with the latest reading of 38.7 feet at 9:15 p.m. That marks the second consecutive reading with a decline for the 41-degree water.

Earlier in the day, the National Weather Service said the river would crest at 38.8 feet, the fourth highest in recorded history, by this evening and remain at the bloated level for several days before slowly receding.

Weather service officials said the Red was at a “near crest” but said it was too early to determine if the river had reached its crest.

Story courtesy The Forum… click the link to read more.

With Red’s crest moved up to tonight, swollen river shows dip in Fargo [Inforum]

Jim Scarlett, meteorologist with the weather service in Aberdeen, S.D., said rain in the forecast tonight and tomorrow will effect the river level, but not by much.

The rain could bring ¾ inch to 1 inch of rain into the valley and extend the length of time the river is high, Scarlett said.

We will keep you up-to-date with latest crest predictions and river levels here at Valley Flood Watch.

Flows are decreasing on the Wild Rice River south of Abercrombie and on the Red River south of Enloe (about 20 miles south of Fargo), “indicating that the primary crest waves along those two rivers is now headed into Fargo,” according to a statement today from Greg Gust, warning coordination meteorologist for the weather service.

“The current rate of movement suggests that the primary crest could reach Fargo on Sunday, possibly ahead of the effects (runoff) of any heavier rain expected from Saturday and Sunday,” Gust wrote. “Thus the projected crest range for Fargo has been narrowed, and is now from 39 to 40 feet. Heavy rainfall which may occur at the time of crest or later will likely maintain high water stages for a longer period of time.”

Story courtesy The Forum

Red River crest range at Fargo narrowed to 39 to 40 feet [Inforum]

With nearly 450,000 sandbags delivered Monday and Tuesday, and more expected today, about 1,400 students from Fargo’s public and private schools and West Fargo will be in neighborhoods to build levees.

This morning, Fargo officials discussed the city’s efforts and plans in the Spring 2011 flood fight.

Mayor Dennis Walaker urged residents to avoid complacency, despite the city’s advance efforts, as the Fargo-Moorhead area prepares for Red River reaching 39 to 41 feet this weekend.

Story courtesy The Forum.. click the link to read the rest of the story.

Strong storm looms as Fargo urges volunteers to button up city by Friday [Inforum]

That number could easily fluctuate depending on additional rainfall in the interim.

A potentially significant storm system could affect the Red River Valley on Sunday, the weather service said.

Story courtesy The Forum… click the link to read the rest of the article.

Red River at Fargo predicted to reach 39.5 feet by Sunday [Inforum]

They also ask that residents do not park on streets and avenues where flood protection work is in progress. This will allow quick and clear access for large equipment to move into and through those areas. Vehicles parked on the street may hinder that access requiring us to tow vehicles. Normally, they try to take the time to find owners and ask them to move their vehicles, but in a flood emergency there may not be time to do that. Please be mindful of where you park.

Routes for the sandbag delivery trucks can be seen on the City of Fargo flood web page www.cityoffargo.com/flood and the Fargo Police Department Facebook page.