Flood Time

Well, it's April and in Grand Forks that means it is flood time. Grand Forks is situated on the North flowing Red River. The past couple of days we have had mid-50 degree temperatures so all the ice has started to melt and we're getting all the water from the South (Fargo) in our part of the river. The interstate to Fargo has been closed since Sunday afternoon bc it's been flooded. (It took Brian 2 hours to get to Fargo today instead of the usual 1 hour). The flooding is getting pretty bad. The river is expected to crest at 50 ft late Thursday afternoon or early Friday morning. After the big flood of 1997 the new dike protecting the city is built at a height of 60 ft. In 1997 the river crested at 54 ft over the dikes and sandbags and flooded the city 3 miles inward. There is a lot of confidence for the majority of the city since the current dike is so high. As of 8:30 PM, Wednesday evening the water level was at 49.44 ft.

On Monday afternoon, my girlfriend, her child, Lilly and I went on a walk towards the river. We played at the park and my gf and I took turns running up the dike to see the water. (mind you, it was 60 degrees out and there were a lot of people using the dike as running path). Literally RIGHT on the other side of the dike (which is like a big hill) the water level of the river was really high. Technically, in Grand Forks, it's a $1000 fine and/or 30 days in jail if you're on the dike. It really is a major concern - the water is cold and moves rapidly. I have another girlfriend who lives in the South-end of town and her neighborhood becomes an island for a few weeks during the flood. Her husband has to BOAT over to get to work. Some people in her neighborhood move into hotels or homes of relatives and friends while their own home is surrounded by the water. Other neighbors, like my friend, tough it out on their island. She bought all her domestic staples last week and Friday was her last outing into the rest of the city.

For those of you who have visited us in Grand Forks, the Sorlie Bridge (the one that's downtown that we walked across, over the river to get into Minnesota) is closed and the river that is usually way below it, is now ABOVE it.  Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.

this is a photo a friend (JC) took as of Wed. AM

here is the same bridge on Tuesday PM



here  is my friend's backyard as of Monday