Red (river)might have crested; forecast calls for continued gradual decline

[uppityperson]

Source: Forum

The Red River appears to have crested in Fargo, dipping to 40.69 feet at 10:15 a.m. That’s down from 40.82 feet earlier in the morning. The latest chart by the National Weather Service shows the river will dip and hold level before continuing its descent.

The weather service's latest trend prediction shows a continuing though very gradual decline for the next week, but a spokesman cautioned that forecasters still must evaluate the information.

Even with the gradual decline, which has held for the past seven or eight hours, the river remains very high, above the 1897 record of 40.1 feet, said Mike Hudson, a weather service spokesman. "I think right now we're starting to see the effects of the cold weather," Hudson said.

Snow is expected Monday, and a lot of water is flowing toward Fargo-Moorhead from the south.

Read more: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/235568/

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If the weather stays sub-freezing, the snow won't melt and add to ground water flowing across the frozen ground into the rivers. While it is nasty being cold and wet, it is betterthan having higher groundwater.


http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=fgf&gage=fgon8&view=1,1,1,1,1,1


Here is a picture of National Guard:
National Guard personnel walk in the high icy floodwater as the Red River continues to rise, Saturday, March 28, 2009, near Fargo, N.D., as they try to evacuate residents.


Bonus article:
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/235567/group/home/

The North Dakota Department of Health reported Friday two deaths and 50 injuries related to flood-prevention efforts and flooding.

The two fatalities were cardiac related deaths due to flood prevention exertion.

The 50 injuries were reported to hospitals and clinics statewide. They ranged from wrist and ankle stress to serious motor vehicle accidents due to washed out roads.

Also, 11 flood-related illnesses have been reported as of Friday, including mental health issue, carbon monoxide poisoning, cardiac related events and one report of gastrointestinal illness.

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is urging livestock producers around the state to contact their county extension agents if any of their livestock have been lost or stranded in the recent flooding. This will allow state officials to plan animal rescue and carcass removal efforts and to get a handle on the number and type of disaster payments that might be claimed under the federal disaster declaration.

And to end up with a picture of Downtown Fargo across the Red River from Moorhead, MN and a hope for continued holding of dikes and levees: