It is expected to be in the high 30s and low 40s this weekend in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. The annual Red River "hundred year flood" is on. And in its latest attempt to attract Anderson Cooper, the region is pulling out all the stops. Moorhead and Clay County have already declared states of emergency. Fargo's Cass County jail is prepping to move its prisoners north to Grand Forks where they stand less of a chance of being drowned. An upside of the rising waters? Real estate sales are booming. At least ten homeowners have sold their doomed riverside domiciles to the city of Fargo, which already purchased 24. And what could be more fun than watching all the action (live!) on the Grand Forks Herald 2010 Flood Cam.
Gripping.
Some readers may remember the flood last year. For those who do not, by all means check out the Big Picture's fantastic gallery. And by "fantastic" I mean "fucking nightmarish."
The flooding is expected to be less severe than last year when, after a near record snow season, temperatures went from 17 degrees below zero, on March 12, to 40 degrees two days later, then quickly ratcheting up to 50 degrees. And then, from March 22 to 24, it rained.
Of course, residents, especially those in Fargo-Moorhead, are still shitting bricks... which they are then putting into bags and piling along the riverbank.
But seriously, freezing floodwater is abominable.
Abe Sauer is not looking forward to this.
Based on that Flood Cam, looks like you folks could use you some hills.
It's not red, it's brown. They have to make everything so dramatic.
Eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota? In any event, move to Duluth - you only have to worry about bears there.
Yeah, am fixing that.
I thought that after the Big Fucking Flood of '97, they rebuilt the Red River so as to minimize the apocalypse potential in Grand Forks.
At least, that's how I remember it being told to me, but as it was -25 degrees at the time and I was drunk, I could be wrong.
(or rather, rebuilt the flood protection around the Red River. Kinda hard to rebuild a river, I suppose.)
It's impossible; nonetheless, the Army Corps will give it their best shot.
Yes. After being basically flooded AND burned to the ground resulting in about 1/3 of a population leaving in 97, Grand Forks got a $1 billion dike system. So it doesn;t flood. Fargo is 90 miles south and has no such system as they never got wiped out (last year, so close). There was much consternation over the last year about raising taxes to pay for a permanent system. But, raising taxes in north dakota is like signing your political death certificate, so... See, North Dakota, home of strong anti-government libertarian movements and down with socialism and government health care tea partiers are waiting for a disaster so that the federal government, as it did in Grand Forks, will pay for their permanent flood protection.
I lived in Fargo until I went off to the college, but I never understood how there could be such a disconnect in the 80 years between the socialist NPL and the current anti-government conservatism that is so pervasive now.
They still like the socialist legacy - central bank and granary, but don't worry, John Hoeven will save you from the impending organ harvest.
And you know where alla that water is coming from? Canada.
Actually, the Red River flows north.
I stand corrected. I knew the Red River flows through the Winnipeg, and was, somewhat obsequiously, trying to get into the spirit of blame Canada day.
@Abe Sauer: It's like winning the lottery!
I could've sworn I hit "Reply."