The news just keeps getting worse for Fargo/Moorhead. The urgency level this morning was higher than it has even been, and it’s even worse tonight. The river has already exceeded the 1997 Flood level of 39.57 ft and it stands at about 39.75 ft right now. The forecast was changed to expect 41 to 42 ft or even 43 ft. If it gets to 43 ft, the city is in big trouble. They are evacuating residents from many parts of town now, and it sounds like more is to come.
We went to my friend Mike’s in-laws house on the Moorhead side of the river this morning. They already had a dike built there, but with the increased crest height, they had to tear out their deck and build a new dike that could go even higher – to 43 ft. We cleared out the ground in the morning and started sandbagging in earnest about 10am. We got a good base down and stopped for lunch shortly after lunch. We were gassed and cold, so we decided to head home to recoup for a while. After a nap, I decided to head back up there for the evening. I was there leading sand into sandbags until about 6:30 before I was told that all volunteers had to evacuate that area of Moorhead. When I got home at 8pm, they decided to evacuate everyone including home owners from the region of town. The dike we built is up to 43.3 ft, so it should withstand the river, but the city is concerned there may be weak points along the way that will cause flooding throughout South Moorhead.
We’ll see how it goes, but it looks like it’s going to be a big mess. I guess it’s a good thing we’re down here in Barnesville. I worry about all the people in trouble in Fargo/Moorhead and wish we could do more to help.
Eric
Eric's space 