Flood update.

[flewellyn]

Many of you are probably worried, so here's the scoop: the cities of Fargo and Moorhead have, for the past week, been mobilizing a record number of volunteers and resources to build dikes, dams, levees, and other protections against the oncoming flood of the Red River. The latest work completed built dikes sufficient to protect against the expected crest of 41 feet.

The latest update from the National Weather Service, however, raised the projected crest to 42 or even 43 feet. To give you an idea, the previous record level for a flood in the Fargo-Moorhead area is 40.1 feet, in 1897.

So, they're still out there. Where I live, next to the Clay County Courthouse, is high ground, and the courthouse will not be allowed to flood. They've turned an entire street into an emergency dike, and they're adding to the existing ones to protect against the new expected crest. But the crest is expected within 36 hours. Oh, and did I mention that it's also snowed 8 inches and is below freezing?

I am not expecting to have to leave. But, just in case, I have a bug-out bag ready, and my cat carrier is at hand for kitty evacuation. If I have to go, I will take my lappie with me and try to update you from my new location. Again, not expecting to need to do this, just covering all bases.

The volunteer efforts in the cities have been amazing: I have seen sandbaggers, food carriers, machines, National Guard troops, and police EVERYWHERE. Sandbags and dirt dikes have been going up all over the place, and almost all bridges are closed. Traffic is, as you might expect, quite snarled. But, the people are out and doing what needs to be done, in record numbers. Latest word is that they continue to have too many volunteers.

Just one thing comes to mind: what with all the building of dikes, placing of dikes, reinforcing of dikes, and other dependence on dikes to save this city...when it's all over, Minnesota and North Dakota had damn well better allow gay marriage.

Comments

[epa-flip.livejournal.com]

If you have a boat apparently my brothers in Hendrum are for the moment high and dry. Best of luck.

[creepers58.livejournal.com]

Glad that you're weathering it. Our trip to St. Cloud (for a conference) has been canceled. Apparently one of the professors tried to leave today, hit I-94 and turned back.

It's getting interesting out here.

Where you here for the flood of 97?

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

Nope, came just after it. Heard a lot about it, though.

[densaer.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

[moronqueen.livejournal.com]

Best of luck!! You have a place to crash in the cities if you need it.

[nimbrethil.livejournal.com]

Leave it to you to work in a bad pun.

Achem. I hadn't heard about this. Here's hoping they're wrong and it doesn't flood. I hope you don't have to leave. And...I sent you a private message because I don't have your email.

[happiestsadist.livejournal.com]

I love your bad pun. :)

Take care. When I heard about the flooding, I will admit I immediately started worrying about you.

We're likely in for nasty flooding this year in my neck of the woods. This was last year: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080429/New_Brunswick_080430/20080430/ , and I've heard mutterings that we're going to have something similar this year. And I live downtown. D: Thankfully not on the ground floor, but still.

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

Since they announced this afternoon at 5 that the river was expected to crest two feet higher, both cities put out an emergency call for more volunteers.

Latest word is that the central coordination point for Fargo, the "Fargodome" arena, is FULL. Thousands of people have showed up, in the middle of the night, to keep sandbagging in sub-freezing weather, amidst 8 inches of snow. Moorhead has had a similar response, proportionately; it's a smaller town.

I'm told that the volunteers are not just from Fargo and Moorhead, but from all the surrounding towns, from further in to both states, and from other states such as Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Montana. We've even had Canadians show up! One of my friends working with the volunteer program mentioned a 7 year old girl who came with her 75 year old grandfather to help out. We're getting people of all groupings you can imagine coming to pitch in and help us out. And the same is happening up in the other cities northward, Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.

It's the biggest "YES WE CAN!" I've ever seen.

[happiestsadist.livejournal.com]

That is incredible. It's really good to hear about people coming together like that.

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

In times like these, it's the best thing ever.

[keori.livejournal.com]

Wow. That is made of awesome.

Makes me wonder what the hell happened during Katrina and Rita.

LOL your bad pun. ^_^

BE SAFE OUT THERE!!!!

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

Makes me wonder what the hell happened during Katrina and Rita.

Friends of mine in New Orleans told me that the people at large banded together to help each other as best they could, but they didn't have the governmental support that we do here. The city and state governments fell down on the job in Louisiana.

Also, the rich citizens secluded themselves and "defended" their property from the "rabble" who tried to escape to high ground, deploying police to turn them back. And, I hear tell that some racist whites took it upon themselves to "protect" their neighborhoods by hunting black people.

But the average person in New Orleans tried to do what he or she could.

[stingmeyer.livejournal.com]

My thoughts are with you and other Fargoans. How are you on emergency supplies? O~

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

Well stocked. And I'm in a safe(ish) area.

[lucretiasheart.livejournal.com]

Like "wow" and stuff!

More weather disasters brought to you by this mythological "global climate change" the coal and petroleum people assure us isn't there...

[stuntviolist.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're doing okay. I tried to send you an email, but I'm not sure I had the right address.

Be safe and keep us posted.