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Upper Midwest flooding

From the Red to the St. Croix, rivers surging to a crest

The Red is expected to hit its peak in Fargo late Saturday, a day or two earlier than expected. In the east metro, the Stillwater Lift Bridge closed Friday. Updated Apr. 8, 2011

An early spring and a rapid snow melt forced communities in Minnesota and North Dakota to quicken their flood fighting efforts.

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Across the state, the end is in sight for a flood season that fell short of earlier, dire predictions.

Stillwater bridge nears a reopening as St. Croix retreats
Article By: JIM ANDERSON ,Star Tribune Publish April 17, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 16, 2011 11:27 PM
River levels keep dropping across the state, so the end is in sight for a flood season that fell short of dire predictions.

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St. Croix, Mississippi levels keep dropping
Publish April 16, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 15, 2011 11:48 PM

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North of Moorhead on County Road 26, DNR officers Gary Forsberg, left, and Phil Seefeldt will use an airboat to check on 100 homes isolated by flooding.

Farms now a no-wake zone
Article By: BILL MCAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish April 12, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 11, 2011 9:35 PM
Red River Valley overland flooding is expected to keep spreading downstream, isolating homesteads.

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High water’s getting really old

Red River becomes the Red Sea
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish April 11, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 11, 2011 11:00 AM
The Red has crested and will stay there a while, but months of preparation in the cities of Fargo and Moorhead were paying off.

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Flood relief for some, but not all
Publish / Update April 10, 2011 9:46 AM
The Red River's approaching crest brought a sense of relief to residents of Fargo and Moorhead Saturday, but residents downstream like Troy Hall of Gardner, N.D., find the land around them transformed into a vast flowing lake.

The Nora Lutheran Church near Gardner, 20 miles north of Fargo, is sur...

Fears ease as Red hits high
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish April 10, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 11, 2011 11:04 AM
Round-the-clock flood preparations paid off in Fargo-Moorhead, where the river appeared to be "running out of steam."

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Live tweets: coverage of flooding in Minnesota and North Dakota
Article By: Emma L. Carew , Publish March 22, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 8, 2011 10:09 AM
Tweet along with our flood team using #mnflood. Photos and location details would be greatly appreciated.

Flooded park in Stillwater

Support for relief bill rises with waters
Article By: JIM ANDERSON , Star Tribune Publish April 9, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 8, 2011 10:50 PM
A plan to fund anti-flood projects and buy flood-prone properties with bond money is proceeding.

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MnDOT closed the Stillwater Lift Bridge Friday.

Stillwater Lift Bridge is closed in anticipation of St. Croix crest
Article By: PAUL WALSH , Star Tribune Publish April 9, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 9, 2011 9:07 AM

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INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: Current U.S. Drought Monitor
Article By: Raymond Grumney , Publish November 14, 2011 2:00 AM / Update November 14, 2011 4:17 PM

Molly Kirk, left, and Brook Riley take a break atop a pile of sandbags as they helped in flood preparations in their neighborhood for the rising waters of the Red River, Thursday, in Moorhead, Minn.

Ready, waiting for the Red
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish April 8, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 7, 2011 10:01 PM
Region is armed with sandbags -- and an appreciation for the unusual geology of a river that seems designed to flood.

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Stillwater Lift Bridge

Forecast of danger as rivers rise
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE and JIM ANDERSON , Star Tribune staff writers Publish April 7, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 7, 2011 9:25 AM
The National Guard has been called to duty along the Red River as Dayton declares an emergency.

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Roaring river

Red River crest forecast up a foot at Fargo-Moorhead
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish April 6, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 5, 2011 8:18 PM
Moorhead Mayor Mark Voxland warned people to take advantage of the calm before weekend storms to pile up sandbags.

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Filling sandbags in Moorhead.

What to do with 5 million sandbags?
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish April 4, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 4, 2011 6:22 AM
The ubiquitous bags are essential in fighting floods, but they're not easy to dispose of once the water recedes.

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Flooding on the St. Croix River at Stillwater

Second crests loom as warmer weather speeds snowmelt
Publish April 4, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 5, 2011 3:26 PM

SECOND CRESTS MAY BE HIGHER THAN FIRST

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Hwy. 101

Weekend rain will add to floodwaters
Article By: NICOLE NORFLEET , Star Tribune Publish April 3, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 2, 2011 6:38 PM
Second crests could occur on Mississippi River at Red Wing and St. Croix at Stillwater.

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Minnesota River crossing in Chaska.

Searching for a south-metro bridge over rising waters
Article By: KATIE HUMPHREY , Star Tribune Publish April 2, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 1, 2011 11:38 PM
With many Minnesota River bridges rendered impassable by flooding again, MnDOT is looking for short-term fixes while also planning a new Hwy. 41 crossing.

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2 Scott County roads reopened
Publish April 2, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 1, 2011 9:41 PM

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Hastings parking lot

River crests, but what happens next?
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish March 31, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 31, 2011 9:06 AM
River watchers aren't relaxing anytime soon. A storm predicted this weekend could alter the flood forecast, depending on whether it delivers rain or snow.

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Harriet Island

Flooding season, long version
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish March 30, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 30, 2011 12:35 PM
The peak is expected in St. Paul Wednesday, but delayed melt could bring another peak later.

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Flood check

Stillwater bridge to stay open
Publish April 1, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 31, 2011 11:05 PM
Meanwhile, weekend storm could intensify the threat of flooding in the Red River Valley.

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Moving sand bags in Stillwater.

Blue skies, cold nights, slow waters
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE , Star Tribune Publish March 29, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 28, 2011 9:04 PM
Stillwater is getting by without a levee, and towns saw lower crests come and go earlier than expected. The pattern looks like it will hold for the next few days.

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Have too much water?

All wet indoors? Here's help for water damage
Article By: JOHN EWOLDT , Star Tribune Publish March 29, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 28, 2011 8:26 PM

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Mississippi River in Hastings

Flood takes gas line in New Ulm
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE and KELLY SMITH , Star Tribune staff writers Publish March 28, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 28, 2011 6:33 AM
River peaks are heading toward the metro area, with bigger crests likely to follow.

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Billy Ruitz, owner of Drifters Bar and Grill

Taking the river in stride
Article By: JIM ANDERSON , Star Tribune Publish March 27, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 28, 2011 10:14 AM
For some along the Mississippi River, the price of working or living with its majestic beauty comes due when the waters rise. A sense of humor comes in handy.

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Floods still coming -- but not quite yet
Article By: MATT McKINNEY and BOB VON STERNBERG , Star Tribune Publish March 27, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 26, 2011 10:53 PM
In Delano, the Crow rose toward a crest, but not as high as had been feared.

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Flood prep in St. Paul

Longer and later river crests are on their way
Article By: JAMES WALSH and TARYN WOBBEMA , Star Tribune Publish March 26, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 25, 2011 8:51 PM
Latest flood predictions foresee high water starting relatively late and lasting through April.

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Stacking sandbags north of St. Peter.

Flood outlook: Lower, but drawn out
Article By: BILL McAULIFFE and PAUL WALSH , Star Tribune staff writers Publish March 25, 2011 2:00 AM / Update March 25, 2011 10:19 AM
Swollen rivers may not set records, but water could remain high for a long time, straining flood defenses.

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