The 2013 flood fight on the Red River officially gets underway Wednesday, south of the border.
Fargo will start filling sandbags in a big way, as its “sandbag central” will be put into action for the first time this year.
The North Dakota city, about 460 km south of Winnipeg, has been warned it could face one of the top five floods on the Red River of all time this spring. It expects it will need to fill about a million sandbags to create temporary dikes against the rising water.
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Despite frequent floods in recent years, the city hasn’t built permanent flood mitigation works, like the Red River Floodway around Winnipeg.
Flood fighters also have their eyes on the weather. Forecasters are predicting “above average” precipitation on the weekend, which could add to the potential for major flooding.
The population of Fargo proper is about 110,000 but counting neighbouring communities including Moorhead, MN right across the river, about 215,000 live in the area.
Flood waters from the Red River in Fargo eventually reach Manitoba where officials have warned major flooding is a possibility.
(with files from inforum.com)
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