Second crest expected in Fargo; Sheyenne River also rising

Fargo awaits a second crest later this week, one likely lower than the record set March 28. But a storm system in the forecast bears watching.

By PATRICK KENNEDY, Star Tribune

Last update: April 12, 2009 - 11:03 PM

Print this story

Follow local news on Twitter

More from Local + Metro

The Red River of the North is expected to surge to a second crest of 38 to 40 feet later this week in Fargo, N.D., a National Weather Service hydrologist said Sunday.

That spike is expected Thursday, Friday or Saturday, said hydrologist Mike DeWeese. "We're hopeful that it will remain on the lower end," DeWeese said. "We'll take a closer look" today and revise the projection as needed.

While officials are optimistic that disaster will not ensue, the situation bears close watching because a storm system expected late in the week could bring significant amounts of rain just as the river reaches its second crest, he said.

Still, Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker said Sunday that he's fairly confident that the second crest will come in the lower end of the range.

Walaker, who drove around much of the area this weekend, said that most of the snow around Fargo has melted and that the most of the water is retreating from the majority of the city's dikes.

On Sunday, many people were observing Easter, not preparing for disaster. "The church lots are full -- that's where we told people to spend their time," Walaker said.

It is unusual to have two independent crests in a single spring flood season, DeWeese said. The surging water that led to the March 28 record crest of 40.6 feet in Fargo is just now reaching the Canadian border, he said. The second crest is being driven primarily by additional snow melt.

The National Weather Service also is watching several nearby areas. The Sheyenne River, a tributary of the Red, is expected to reach record levels later this week, DeWeese said.

Lisbon, N.D., on the lower Sheyenne just southwest of Fargo, could have a crest of 22 feet, almost 3 feet higher than the 1997 record of 19.3 feet.

Over the weekend, officials began evacuating the North Dakota Veterans Home in Lisbon. Administrator Mark Johnson said the 117-year-old home is protected by sandbags and a dike, but a bridge on the Sheyenne leading to it could be blocked by high water.

In Valley City, N.D., about 60 miles west of Fargo, a projected crest of 22 feet Tuesday through Thursday would close all but one of the city's 11 bridges, officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Patrick Kennedy • 612-673-7926

Recent Local + Metro stories

Minneapolis police deficit draws scrutiny - April 12, 2009

Minneapolis police deficit draws scrutiny - Police chief apologizes to the City Council, which peppered him with questions about why earlier projections were so much lower. More