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I have been keeping an eye on all the flooding occuring in N. Dakota. Looks like they are preparing for a record deluge. The Red River is expected to crest between 39 and 41 feet in Fargo on Friday.
I hope things are not nearly as bad as expected to be. I wish everyone in that area my best and hope they all stay safe.
I know a few people from here are from around that area. My best to you all.
Posts: 155 | From: Today Indiana....probably tomorrow too actually! | Registered: Feb 2009 | Site Updates: 0
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Well the Missouri River here in Bismarck has been flooding too due to an ice jam. I only live about a mile away from the river and am in the safe zone but people not too far away from me have been getting their homes flooded.
The ice jam they figure is about 100 miles long starting just south of Bismarck and going down to the South Dakota border. They expect to go up in helicopters sometime this afternoon and try and dynamite the ice jam to try and break it up.
The state as a whole is underwater as we've had a lot of snow this winter so flooding was a major concern. Now top that off with a faster melt last week due to warmer temperatures made the runoff a lot faster than needed. Plus now yesterday in the middle of the flood we had a spring blizzard dumping a lot of snow in the area which means we'll have more snow to melt and runoff into the already overfull rivers.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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Sounds like the dynamite blast is about to occur any minute. They're saying that it could take more than one blast to break up the ice jam.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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Stay safe Sammy. We had some similar flooding in PA last month, north of Pittsburgh, with ice jams damming up and causing flooding. Just stay indoors, dude. Let us know if you hear or feel the blasts!
Posts: 2289 | From: Pittsburgh | Registered: Nov 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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They just announced that there was some delay in the blast and it's yet to come. I was beginning to wonder if I was too far away to hear it or not.
I know a few months ago when they blew up one of the bridges crossing the river here in town I sure felt and heard those blasts and the distance is pretty similar to where this ice jam is.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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The blast has happened but I was unable to hear or feel the rumbles.
So far they sound optimistic that the blast was successful as the ice appears to be moving once again. A second blast hasn't been ruled out and they might also add salt or de-icer to the ice to help break it up more.
There's still the second ice jam North of the city to deal with.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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That's just unbelievable! I've never heard of icejams before.
I hope it doesn't get any worse Sammy, stay safe!
Posts: 3839 | From: Wangaratta, Vic, Australia | Registered: Jun 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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wow, hope it works out ok, sam. keep us posted. make sure you and the kitties stay safe.
Posts: 4807 | Registered: Oct 2002 | Site Updates: 39
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They're going to have to do another blast tonight and probably one more tomorrow morning.
Small small chance I could be in the evacuation zone too if something would happen to the second icejam north of town. I'm not worried about anything happening to my apartment and stuff since I live on the third floor but my place could possibly be surrounded by water.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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Stay safe Sam. I hope that small small chance is getting smaller by the second.
Posts: 155 | From: Today Indiana....probably tomorrow too actually! | Registered: Feb 2009 | Site Updates: 0
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They're starting to let some of the evacuees go back to their homes. As of right now the water level is going down and the temperature is cold enough so the new snowfall we had on Tuesday isn't melting giving the rivers a chance to continue going down. Things could change if the north ice jam should happent to break and release all the backed up water.
One bad note is that there's more snow forecasted for this weekend so there will be more moisture on the ground that could eventually impact the rivers.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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Wow you've got it coming and going up there Sammy. Just stay safe.
Posts: 2289 | From: Pittsburgh | Registered: Nov 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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Things are going nuts in Fargo, the river is a 112 year high or something right now.
Posts: 4413 | From: Where the streets have no name | Registered: Oct 2002 | Site Updates: 0
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yeah Fargo's sandbagging efforts couldn't keep up with the river. A few days ago they were expecting a 41 foot crest now just last night or today last I heard the crest was expected to be 43 feet. Those two extra feet equalled way too many sandbags to get bagged and set in place and not enough time to get them where they needed to be.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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Just want to add that there's been a lot of people doing good things in light of all the flooding. Many businesses here in Bismarck and in Fargo have closed so families can take care of their personal affairs that are being impacted by the floods. Plus many schools and businesses have let their employees off work and students out of school so they can help with sandbagging efforts.
I heard on Wednesday that 3700 people here in Bismarck volunteered their time and services to help fill sandbags and were cranking out 27,000 bags an hour. I wish I could have helped but felt that doing that kind of work would have had a negative impact on my back. I know the numbers of volunteers in Fargo have far exceeded what we had here in Bismarck.
A lot of patients from the hospitals in fargo have been moved here to Bismarck and elsewhere. Sounding very grim out there
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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The water has receded quite a bit here in Bismarck and also in Fargo which is great news.
However we're in the middle of another blizzard that's already dumped another 15 inches of snow here with more to come. Another fast snow melt would not be a good thing right now. We still need the rivers to go down before we add more snow melt.
Right now Bismarck is only a few inches away from the snowiest winter in history which was set back in '96-'97.
I'm so ready for winter to be over.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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Holy crap- another 15 inches! Yowza. My friend's brother drives truck, and his home base in South Dakota. Last time he drove through there when you guys had a snowstorm, he said he couldn't even see two feet in front of him.
Posts: 2289 | From: Pittsburgh | Registered: Nov 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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