Obelisk in Grand Forks commemorating the 1997 flood. The flood's high water mark is indicated by the line around the smooth section just below the point of the obelisk. Previous historic flood levels are also represented.

The Red River Flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997, along the Red River of the North in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826. Download high resolution version (480x640, 122 KB)Cairn commemorating the Red River Flood, 1997 at Grand Forks, North Dakota. ... Download high resolution version (480x640, 122 KB)Cairn commemorating the Red River Flood, 1997 at Grand Forks, North Dakota. ... The Luxor obelisk in the Place de la Concorde in Paris An obelisk is a tall, thin, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramidal top. ... Look up flood in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... See also the Red River disambiguation page. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Bismarck Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi  (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English (French is an official language of the Manitoban legislature and courts) Flower Pasqueflower Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water    (% of...

The flood reached throughout the Red River Valley, affecting the cities of Fargo and Winnipeg, but none so greatly as in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, where floodwaters reached over 3 miles (5 km) inland, inundating virtually everything in the twin communities and causing US$2 billion in damages. The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North. ... Flag Location Location in North Dakota Government Country State County Region United States North Dakota Cass County Red River Valley Founded 1871 Mayor Bruce Furness Geographical characteristics Area    - City 98. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge),1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... Motto: A Place of Excellence Nickname: The Sunflake City Map Political Statistics Founded 15 June 1870 Incorporated February 22, 1881 County Grand Forks County Mayor Michael Brown Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 49. ... East Grand Forks City Hall East Grand Forks is a city located in Polk County, Minnesota. ... This article is about general United States currency. ...

The flood in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks

The Red River forms the border between North Dakota and Minnesota. A few sets of "sister cities" sit directly on this border, with the most devastated by the floodwaters being Grand Forks, North Dakota and its counterpart East Grand Forks, Minnesota, although other pairs saw significant flooding and damage as well, including Fargo–Moorhead and Wahpeton–Breckenridge. Much of the flooding occurred not only from the rising river, but from overland flooding, as the flooded Red River was unable to drain meltwater away, necessitating dikes on both the riverfront and around the edges of towns. Moorhead is a city located in Clay County, Minnesota. ... Wahpeton is a city located in Richland County, North Dakota. ... Breckenridge is a city located in Wilkin County, Minnesota. ...

U.S. Air Force personnel pile sandbags as citizens of the Grand Forks community built a dike to hold back the rising Red River on April 17, 1997.

There was some sense of imminent threat in Grand Forks, but the cities could not prepare for such an enormous flood. The National Weather Service (NWS) had a long-standing forecast for the river to crest at 49 feet (14.9 m), which was the river's highest level during the 1979 flood. The cities had been able to get their dikes to this level, but the river continued to rise past it, to the astonishment of the NWS (which didn't upgrade its forecast until April 16, the day the river actually reached 49 feet). The dikes in the low-lying Lincoln Drive neighborhood of Grand Forks were the first to break, doing so early on April 18. Other dikes over Grand Forks and East Grand Forks area would fail that day and the next, flooding thousands of homes. U.S. Air Force personnel pile sandbags as citizens of the Grand Forks N.D., community build a dike to hold back the rising Red River on April 17, 1997. ... U.S. Air Force personnel pile sandbags as citizens of the Grand Forks N.D., community build a dike to hold back the rising Red River on April 17, 1997. ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Weather Service (NWS) is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ...

Water would end up reaching areas over two miles (3 km) away from the Red River, necessitating the evacuation of all of East Grand Forks and 75% of Grand Forks. School was cancelled in both cities for the remainder of the term, as were classes at the University of North Dakota. Because all transportation was cut off between the two cities (and for many miles, the two states), East Grand Forks residents were evacuated to nearby Crookston, namely to UMC, while residents of Grand Forks went to the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The river crested at 54.35 feet (16.6 m) on April 21, and the river level would not fall below 49 feet (14.9 m) until April 26. Because water drained so slowly out of the most low-lying areas, some homeowners couldn't visit their damaged property until May. The University of North Dakota (UND) is a comprehensive institution of higher learning in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Founded in 1883, it is the largest and oldest such institution in the state of North Dakota. ... Crookston is an American city located in the state of Minnesota. ... The University of Minnesota-Crookston is a univeersity located in Crookston, Minnesota . ... Grand Forks Air Force Base (Grand Forks AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ...

The Sorlie Bridge connecting Grand Forks and East Grand Forks downtown areas became submerged on April 17, 1997.

The flood made national news. The most familiar footage is probably the fire that blazed downtown, surrounded by floodwaters. The Grand Forks Herald building was totally destroyed in the fire, along with 120 years of archives. The national attention of both flood and fire reached Joan Kroc, the McDonald's heiress, who anonymously donated $15,000,000 to be divided into $2,000 portions for each damaged household (though the amount some homeowners received was less due to the huge number of devastated homes). Smaller donations from all over the country poured in to the communities. President Clinton toured the cities and visited the thousands of refugees at the Air Force base on April 22. Image File history File links Sorlie_bridge_1997. ... Image File history File links Sorlie_bridge_1997. ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Grand Forks Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper, begun in 1879, printed in Grand Forks, North Dakota. ... Joan Beverly Kroc (née Mansfield) (August 27, 1928 - October 12, 2003) was the third wife of McDonalds founder Ray Kroc. ... William Jefferson Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ...

All told, there was $2 billion USD in damage to Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Thousands of people relocated after the disaster. Grand Forks, losing only 3% of its population from 1997 to 2000, didn't fare as badly as its sister city, which lost nearly 17% of its residents. Though many left, not a single person was killed in the flood itself. The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

Recovery and legacy

The new East Grand Forks City Hall. The former city hall was heavily damaged by the 1997 flood.

The 5-foot (1.5 m) discrepancy between the actual crest and that which the NWS had predicted led to widespread anger among locals, especially since the citizens of both cities reached and even slightly surpassed the NWS's level of protection through weeks of hard work. This anger was most famously expressed by a local resident's devastated home having the words "49 feet my ass" smeared on the exterior. The Service has since revised their method of forecasting spring floods. East Grand Forks, Minnesota City Hall. ... East Grand Forks, Minnesota City Hall. ... In small towns, the town hall may also incorporate other functions, such as a post office. ...

Several local schools were destroyed, prompting the construction of replacements. Because construction was not finished on most of these schools until the end of 1998, hundreds of students spent a year and a half of school in temporary locations ranging from churches to FEMA-constructed temporary metal buildings, known by locals as "tin bins." Numerous city buildings were also damaged, especially in East Grand Forks, where the flood-ravaged downtown area had been home to the city hall and the public library. Both have since been replaced by new and elegant buildings, though not before spending a few years housed in a former elementary school and an ice rink's warming house, respectively. New FEMA seal The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) within the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate. ...

Over 28,000 people were evacuated. They had 2 days notice to evacuate to Winnipeg from Morris. Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge),1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... Morris (, ) is a small town of about 1700 people in the Pembina Valley region of Manitoba, Canada, located about 50 km south of Winnipeg and 50 km north of Emerson. ...

New dikes have been constructed in both cities. The system of levees and new "invisible floodwalls" should be complete in 2007, having cost several hundred million USD. What were once entire neighborhoods are now covered by grass and trees, part of an extensive area of parkland called The Greenway. In East Grand Forks, this transformation is especially visible. One former neighborhood is now a large campground, the spiritual center of what is now known as the Red River State Recreation Area. The cities of today are significantly different from their pre-flood state, but most residents are pleased with this, seeing it as fulfillment of President Bill Clinton's promise that the cities would "rebuild stronger and better than ever." The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The Greenway is made up of 2,200 acres bordering the Red River and Red Lake River in the twin cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota (commonly called Greater Grand Forks). ...

The flood in Manitoba

A memorial statue with the rebuilt Grand Forks Herald building in the background.

The province of Manitoba completed the Red River Floodway in 1968 after six years of excavation, put up permanent dikes in eight towns south of Winnipeg, and built clay dikes and diversion dams in the Winnipeg area. Other flood control structures completed later were the Portage Diversion, and the Shellmouth Dam on the Assiniboine. But even with these flood protection measures, in 1997 the province experienced a flood of 7.5 m (21.6 ft), which caused 28,000 people to be evacuated and $500 million CAD in damage to property and infrastructure. Called "The Flood of the Century", the 1997 flood had a probability of occurrence of about once in 100 years, and came close to overcoming Winnipeg's existing flood protection system. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1152x864, 190 KB) Summary A statue in rememberance of the Flood of 1997, with the rebuilt Grand Forks Herald building in the background. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1152x864, 190 KB) Summary A statue in rememberance of the Flood of 1997, with the rebuilt Grand Forks Herald building in the background. ... The Grand Forks Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper, begun in 1879, printed in Grand Forks, North Dakota. ... The Red River Floodway is an artificial flood control waterway in Canada first used in 1969. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge),1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... The Portage Diversion (, )is a water control structure on the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, Canada. ... The Shellmouth Reservoir (, ) in Manitoba, Canada was completed in 1972 as part of a diversion project to prevent flooding of the Red River Valley. ... Junction of the Assiniboine and Red rivers in downtown Winnipeg. ... Canadian One Dollar Coin (Loonie) The dollar (currency code CAD) has been the currency of Canada since 1858. ...

Towns upriver in Manitoba, forewarned by footage of Grand Forks buildings burning and covered in metres of water, built ring dikes to protect their homes and properties, and the province of Manitoba called in the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the provincial Department of Natural Resources. Thousands of volunteers also helped to build sandbag dikes around homes and property. An emergency dike, later called the Brunkild Z-dike, 24 km (15 miles) long, was constructed in a matter of days when it was realized that overland flooding threatened the City of Winnipeg. The Canadian Forces (French: Forces canadiennes) are the combined armed forces of Canada. ... Royal Canadian Mounted Police heraldic badge. ... A sandbag is typically used in flood control, but the exact use can vary. ... A dyke (or dike) is a stone or earthen wall constructed as a defence or as a boundary. ...

Almost all of the ring dikes around the towns held, save one—St. Agathe. The town's dike system was prepared for the river approaching from the south, but the river had spread and swamped the town from the west.

At the flood's peak in Canada on May 4, the Red River occupied an area of 1,840 km² (710 mi²) with more than 2,560 km² (990 mi²) of land underwater. Nicknamed the "Red Sea", this temporary lake forced about 75,000 people to abandon their homes. $450 million CAD in damage was caused. May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ...

The province of Manitoba asked the International Joint Commission (IJC) to provide a report on the flood event and to recommend measures to ensure further flood protection for the city of Winnipeg. Largely as a result of this study, the province now plans on expanding the floodway. The International Joint Commission is an independent binational organization established by the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. ...

Origins of the 1997 flood

There were four main factors that contributed to the flood's severity:

1. Rainstorms in autumn, 1996, had saturated the ground so that it could not absorb much water.
2. There was overabundant snowfall during the past winter. A total of 98.6 inches (250 cm) of snow accumulated in Grand Forks.
3. A freak blizzard (unofficially named "Hannah") had dumped a large amount of snow on the area on the weekend of April 5.
4. Tributary peak flows tended to coincide with those on the Red River itself.

The river often rises in the region during the spring snowmelt, but the record 1996-97 snowfall created river levels unseen in over a hundred years. Blizzards are characterized by high winds and blinding precipitation Sudden blizzards can cause terrible damage to infrastructure as well as danger to human life. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ...

Past floods

Highwater mark of the 2006 flood as seen on the memorial marker for the 1997 flood.

The Red River in Manitoba and the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota has flooded repeatedly through the centuries, endangering lives and property. The river is highly prone to flooding because of its northward flow. As spring approaches, the snow is melted from south to north alongside the riverflow. There is also the possibility that the surplus water can hit unmelted ice on the river and back up. The flatness of the terrain and small slope of the river is a significant factor. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 128 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Red River Flood, 1997 Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 128 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Red River Flood, 1997 Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera...

The worst flood on record was in 1826, when settlers of the Selkirk Colony fled water reaching 36½ ft (11.1 m) above the river bed. The Red River Colony was a colonization project set up by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk in 1811 on 300 000 km² of land granted to him by the Hudsons Bay Company under what is referred to as the Selkirk Concession. ...

Floods occurred in both 1948 and 1950. The 1950 flood reached a high of 30 ft (9.2 m) at Winnipeg—causing 100,000 people to be evacuated and $606 million CAD (1997) of damage, prompting the government of Manitoba to set up flood safety measures.

Significant floods also occurred in 1882, 1897, 1969, 1975, 1989, and 1996. A fairly major flood struck in 1979. Homes not damaged in that flood were incorrectly assumed to be safe from a future flood.

The area continues to experience flooding as another major flood occurred April 2006. The Red River did go near the level of the 1997 flood in 2006 and only caused minor damage, primarily in rural areas, including water over roads and bridges.

See also

• Winnipeg Flood

The Winnipeg Flood usually refers to a devastating flood that took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on May 8, 1950. ...

References

• Jacobs, Mike, Ed. (August 1997). Come Hell & High Water. Grand Forks, North Dakota: Grand Forks Herald. ISBN 0964286025.
• Galloway, Gerald E., Ed.; Clamen, Murray (2000). Living with the Red: A Report to the Governments of Canada & the U.S. on Reducing Flood Impacts in the Red River Basin. Diane Pubblishing. ISBN 0756708028.

External links

• News stories from the 1997 flood. CNN. Retrieved on May 9, 2006.
• Red River Rising: Manitoba Floods. CBC Digital Archives. Retrieved on May 9, 2006.
• Draves, Alan (2002). The 1997 Flood in Grand Forks North Dakota. Retrieved on May 9, 2006.
• Photographs of Flooding In the Fargo-Moorhead Region: 1997. Geology of the Fargo-Moorhead Region. North Dakota State University. Retrieved on May 9, 2006.