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Ground which was already saturated when it froze at the onset of winter, melting snow which could not be absorbed by the frozen ground, and additional precipitation from a rain storm on March 22 and a later snowstorm, are reasons for the serious flooding. Heavy snowfalls fell in the state toward the
206:
declared a statewide disaster in anticipation of flooding across the state. On March 19, the
National Weather Service raised the predicted flood level in the Fargo area to between 37 feet (11 m) and 40 feet (12 m). The city began filling sandbags on March 20. In anticipation of a rain and
140:
with an increasingly higher projected river crest. Originally predicted to reach a level of near 43 feet (13 m) at Fargo by March 29, the river in fact crested at 40.82 feet (12.44 m) at 12:15 a.m. March 28, and started a slow decline. The river continued to rise to the north as the
41:
Beulah and Hazen were affected by the Knife River and Spring Creek floods. Linton was affected by Big Beaver Creek floods. Barlow, Carrington, Napoleon was affected by overland flooding from heavy snowmelt. Mott was affected by the
Cannonball River floods. Wells County, Foster County, and Stutsman
275:
area, flood predictions released
February 27 predicted a possibility of a flood crest between 44 feet (13 m) and 46 feet (14 m). The snow storm that struck March 9–10 raised the predicted levels between 47 feet (14 m) and 50 feet (15 m) prompting the city to declare a state of
283:
for extreme east-central Cass County due to a levee breach in Fargo on Linden Avenue. With the river now more than 6 meters (20 feet) above flood stage, there appears to be a growing sense in Fargo that despite best efforts, it may not be possible to build dikes high enough to hold back the
210:
Volunteers continued preparing sandbags, with 560,000 bags filled by late March 22 out of an expected 1.5 million to 2 million needed. By March 24, residents in Fargo-Moorhead had filled over 1 million sandbags and were attempting to fill a total of 2 million by the 26th. A levee in
250:
In addition to the sandbags the construction of the dikes protecting the city has required large amounts of clay. Clay has been brought from several places in and around the city, including the soccer field at
Centennial Elementary School and around Discovery Middle School.
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At 7:15 P.M. CDT on March 26, 2009, the river exceeded the 1997 crest of 39.57 feet (12.06 m) at Fargo, which was the previous second-highest crest. The projected crest is 24 feet (7.3 m) above flood stage and higher than the record-setting floods in
131:
area. The flood is a result of saturated and frozen ground, Spring snowmelt exacerbated by additional rain and snow storms, and virtually flat terrain. Communities along the Red River prepared for more than a week as the U.S.
158:
area saw a predicted level of at least 16 feet (4.9 m). By March 24, the
National Weather Service predicted the crest in Wahpeton and Breckenridge not to top 18 feet (5.5 m), below the cities' levees.
905:
235:. The predicted flood crest was raised again on March 26, changed to between 41 feet (12 m) and 42 feet (13 m) by March 28, with a possibility of 43 feet (13 m).
369:
202:
area could see a significant flood of between 35 feet (11 m) and 36 feet (11 m). As preparations began for the flooding on March 16, North Dakota
Governor
321:
984:
964:
42:
County was affected by
Pipestem river. Eddy County, Foster County, Stutsman County, La Moure County, and Dickey County was affected by James River.
399:
24:
experienced significant flooding in its major river basins in 2009, following abnormally heavy winter snows atop saturated and frozen ground.
897:
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in Double Ditch. It was successful. Flooding would cause problems south of the
Bismarck Expressway and west of Washington Street.
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snow storm, the predicted crest level was raised on March 22 to a range from 39 feet (12 m) to 41 feet (12 m).
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emergency. On March 22 the predicted crest level was changed to 52 feet (16 m).
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Kolpack, Dave (March 24, 2009). "Lower projection on Red upstream may help Fargo".
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21:
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A wiki which has been set up to facilitate information exchange during the flood
817:
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At 2:30 A.M. CDT, the
National Weather Service offices in Grand Forks issued a
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738:"'Fear is setting in' as sandbag volunteers desperately needed in flood fight"
597:
789:"Race against time: Flood-fighting efforts intensify as storm threatens area"
243:
120:
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Explosives had to be used blow up an ice jam on the
Missouri River North
17:
454:"Beulah Watching Flood Waters on KFYR-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader"
172:
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was raised another two feet, and emergency dikes were being built in
429:"Hazen Flooding Aftermath on KFYR-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader"
898:"Cold temperatures slowing rise of the Red River: U.S. forecaster"
585:"Daily and Hourly Changes in Level for the Red River at Fargo, ND"
194:
Warnings for the 2009 flood occurred as early as March 9 when the
182:
166:
814:"FLOOD UPDATE: Fargo Public Schools slated to resume next Monday"
934:
USGS Real-Time Water Data for Red River of the North at Fargo ND
929:
National Weather Service – River Gauges for the Red River Valley
694:"Fargo residents rushing to fill sandbags for flood onslaught".
885:
598:
Real-time water data for Red River of the North at Pembina, ND
61:
398:
McKinney, Matt; Bill McAuliffe; Allie Shah (March 25, 2009).
504:"Mott Under Water on KFYR-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader"
764:"Flood warnings issued; N. Dakota braces for record deluge"
713:"Crest predictions rise: 52.5 feet in GF; 41 feet in Fargo"
479:"Linton Flooding on KFYR-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader"
833:"Forecast flood crest earlier, higher than first thought"
77:
314:"Record flood can be traced to summer and fall rains"
136:
continuously updated the predictions for the city of
370:"ND city scrambles to prepare for record flooding"
344:"Flood fears spreading through southern Manitoba"
658:"Fargo stands 50-50 chance of major flooding".
33:end of March, adding to the existing snowpack.
127:in Canada brought record flood levels to the
8:
674:"Hoeven Declares Statewide Flood Emergency"
566:"Fargo mayor: More levees will be breached"
936:, including gage height and discharge rate
676:. Governor of North Dakota. March 16, 2009
950:FEMA North Dakota Flooding Response Page
707:
705:
237:
528:Crews Blow Up Ice Jam on Missouri River
304:
615:"Wahpeton-Breckenridge Flood Outlook"
7:
858:"New snow will impact flood outlook"
831:Springer, Patrick (March 23, 2009).
787:Springer, Patrick (March 22, 2009).
400:"In Fargo, a race against the river"
908:from the original on 28 March 2009
324:from the original on 31 March 2009
14:
985:Natural disasters in North Dakota
965:2009 floods in the United States
856:Johnson, Ryan (March 11, 2009).
621:. March 16, 2009. Archived from
368:Kolpack, Dave (March 21, 2009).
294:Red River Flood (disambiguation)
242:Volunteers fill sandbags in the
65:
762:Welch, Chris (March 25, 2009).
602:United States Geological Survey
312:Nelson, Tim (March 27, 2009).
1:
940:Boston.com Big Picture series
190:were used to prevent flooding
145:Predictions and preparations
837:The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
812:Smith, Kelly (2009-03-30).
793:The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
742:The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
660:The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
645:The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
1001:
188:HESCO collapsible barriers
154:Early predictions for the
100:
273:Grand Forks, North Dakota
123:in the United States and
975:2009 disasters in Canada
196:National Weather Service
141:crest moved downstream.
134:National Weather Service
318:Minnesota Public Radio
247:
191:
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113:Red River of the North
74:This section is empty.
52:Bismarck, North Dakota
570:National Public Radio
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213:Georgetown, Minnesota
186:
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980:2009 in North Dakota
868:on February 16, 2013
546:Demolition A Success
374:The Associated Press
109:2009 Red River flood
103:2009 Red River flood
886:NWS Grand Forks, ND
696:Winnipeg Free Press
281:Flash Flood Warning
177:Fargo, North Dakota
138:Fargo, North Dakota
904:. March 26, 2009.
862:Grand Forks Herald
717:Grand Forks Herald
551:2011-05-24 at the
533:2011-05-24 at the
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192:
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698:. March 20, 2009.
662:. March 10, 2009.
625:on March 31, 2009
572:. March 29, 2009.
410:on March 29, 2009
380:on March 24, 2009
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970:Floods in Canada
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350:. March 17, 2009
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198:warned that the
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910:. Retrieved
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117:North Dakota
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78:adding to it
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58:Souris River
49:
40:
31:
22:North Dakota
15:
818:Fargo Forum
267:Grand Forks
204:John Hoeven
173:sandbagging
959:Categories
912:2009-03-27
872:2008-03-27
842:2008-03-23
798:2008-03-22
773:2008-03-25
748:2008-03-23
723:2008-03-27
680:2008-03-27
629:2008-03-27
514:2009-03-31
489:2009-03-31
464:2009-03-31
439:2009-03-31
414:2008-03-25
384:2008-03-22
354:2008-03-22
171:A line of
163:Fargo area
111:along the
28:Background
244:Fargodome
121:Minnesota
97:Red River
85:July 2010
906:Archived
902:CBC News
549:Archived
531:Archived
348:CBC News
328:31 March
322:Archived
288:See also
221:Moorhead
156:Wahpeton
150:Wahpeton
125:Manitoba
46:Ice jams
37:Flooding
18:US State
768:CNN.com
619:Kvly-Tv
284:river.
271:In the
229:Grafton
225:Harwood
300:Notes
217:Fargo
574:(AP)
330:2009
261:1897
259:and
257:1997
231:and
119:and
107:The
16:The
115:in
80:.
20:of
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83:(
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