Crest Projections Raised in Fargo-Moorhead
Hope Deutscher
April 9, 1997

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The National Weather Service has raised the projected crest on the Red River in Fargo-Moorhead. It now stands at 39 to 39.5 feet, a foot higher than the previous projection. As Minnesota Public Radio's Hope Deutscher reports, people living along the Red River wasted no time in building up their dikes. The crest in Fargo is expected late Thursday or early Friday. The Red in Fargo this morning was at 35.59 feet. Flood stage is 17 feet.

SHORTLY AFTER THE NEWS came out that the Red River's projected crest in Fargo- Moorhead could be 39 feet or higher, calls started to flood city offices: residents living along the swollen Red River want to add more sandbags to their dikes.

SFX OF SUMP PUMP

The sound of sump pumps filled the Fargo Oak Port neighborhood. Dikes already surround homes, but with a new crest projection, volunteers are feverishly helping homeowners throw more sandbags on dikes.

Jim Swenson lives in North Fargo and says the neighborhood was panicky when the new crest projection came out. It'll take another 500 sandbags to raise Swenson's dike up two feet to hold back flood waters.

YOU GOT TO BUILD THE BOTTOMS OUT AND YOU FIGURE: WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE SAND BAGS AND THE VOLUNTEERS? I CALLED DOWN TO THE CIVIC THIS MORNING AND ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS AND WITHIN MINUTES - I HAD 30 PEOPLE HERE.

Fargo Operations Manager Dennis Walaker says he's concerned about an ice jam upriver that's holding a lot of water. He says flood-fighting efforts could be hampered if everyone doesn't remain calm.

AND WE DO HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF NOT REACHING THAT STAGE - THEIR CONCERN IS THE ICE AND ALL THE WATER COMING IN AT ONCE. MY CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS NOT TO PANIC - THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE ORGANIZED AND DO THINGS IN SOME ORDER THAT MAKES SENSE.

Walaker says 350,000 additional sandbags are enroute to Fargo. And if necessary, he says sandbagging may run 24 hours a day.

SFX OF SAND SHOVELS SCOOPING UP AND FILLING THOSE BAGS

It's so cold that sandbagging operations moved to the Fargo city sanitation garage. Garbage collection is being suspended the rest of the week so that the garbage collectors can help fill sandbags and build dikes.

Fargo Public Works Director Pat Zavoral says he's hoping the National Weather Service built a cushion into the new crest projection so people are prepared for the worst.

IF IT STAYS COLD AND KEEPS THE ICE FLOWS IN THE WATER SOUTH OF TOWN, WE FEEL WE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE TO OVERCOME 39 TO 39.5 FEET.

Greenhouse owner, John Schotwell says the earthen and sandbag dikes were high enough to withstand the previous forecast flood level, but he says with the new outlook - he needs help from private contractors.

WE PROBABLY WON'T MAKE IT. RIGHT NOW WE'RE HOLDING; WE'RE WAITING TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMEONE IN HERE TO BUILD UP THE DIKE AND IF WE DON'T GET IT BUILT UP - WE PROBABLY WON'T MAKE IT.

Fargo Volunteer Center coordinators say with the updated projection they are in desperate need of volunteers. Businesses and schools are shutting down in the area to allow people to help in the flood-fighting efforts.

Return to Flood of 1997.