With the Rapid Snow Melt the Area Braces for Flooding

With the rapid snow melt and rain forecasted for this weekend, the National Weather Service is expecting the Red River in Fargo to hit major flood stage of 30 feet by early Tuesday.

Wahpeton is looking at an early crest in the moderate flood range of 13.5 feet Saturday into Sunday.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for Richland, Wilkin, Cass, Clay, and Becker County until further notice.

Flood response for Fargo/Moorhead per rise in water level.

Feet – Response

40.84	RECORD FLOOD. March 28, 2009 (instantaneous measurement).
40	25th Street S bridge over Rose Coulee closes (Fargo).
39	36th Street S bridge and 40th Avenue S bridge over Drain 27 close (Fargo).
38.5	11th Street N is closed near 28th Avenue N (Moorhead).
38	28th Avenue North is closed at Ditch #41 (Moorhead).
37.5	Oakport Street N is closed near 50th Avenue N (Moorhead).
37	Convent Bridge at 52nd Ave S is closed (Fargo).
36	Placing of sandbags starts if the river is forecast to rise above 38 ft (Fargo).
34	Northern Pacific Ave (Fargo)/Center Ave (Moorhead) bridge clearance.
33	Wall Street Avenue N is closed (Moorhead).
32	Removable floodwalls installed along 2nd Street (Fargo). 1st Avenue N bridge across Red River closed.
31	1st Avenue N underpass is closed (Moorhead).
30	MAJOR FLOOD.
28	Rivershore Drive underpass at I-94 is closed (Moorhead). 12th Avenue N/15th Avenue N bridge over Red River is closed (Fargo/Moorhead).
25	MODERATE FLOOD. City parks and recreation areas along the river begin to flood (Fargo). All storm sewer lift stations are in operation (Fargo).
23	North Broadway bridge floods (Fargo/Moorhead).
22	North Broadway bridge is closed (Fargo/Moorhead).
21	3rd Street underpass is closed (Moorhead).
19	Low-level dam south of Main Ave is closed (Fargo).
18	MINOR FLOOD. Elm St between 14th and 15th Ave N is closed (Fargo). Storm sewer pump stations are beginning to operate (Fargo).
17	ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE. Water rises to the edge of the bike path at El Zagal bowl along Elm St N between 14th and 15th Ave (Fargo).

Flood response for Wahpeton/Breckinridge per rise in water level.

Feet – Response

22.5	Top of the permanent dike.
18	Close dike openings at Minnesota St (MN) and Dakota St (ND). Close dike openings at railroad bridge (requires removal of railroad tracks).
17.5	RECORD FLOOD. Post-Diversion Flood of Record (March 24, 2009). Post-1900 Flood Flow of Record (10.4 kcfs on March 24, 2009).
16.5	City mobilizes as patrolling of levees and storm sewer outlets begins.
16	Wells Park floods. Flooding of a portion of the sanitary sewer system begins.
15	MAJOR FLOOD. Wahpeton storm sewer outlets and Main Sreet closed.
13.5	North Main Street and bridge closed (Breckenridge).
13	MODERATE FLOOD. Start to put up flood wall (Breckenridge) if river is forecast to go above 15 feet.
12	Storm sewer valves are closed and interior pumping begins (Breckenridge).
11.6	Otter Tail River water starts to flow into the Breckenridge Diversion. Water on Main Street (Breckenridge).
11	MINOR FLOOD.
9.5	ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
8	Otter Tail River starts to overflow downstream of Highway 75 bridge. This breakout flow will enter the Red River 600 feet downstream of the gage. As stage rises, water fans out and floods the entire east side of bottomlands.
7	Close storm sewer outfalls.