April 12, 2001 - People along the Red River are bracing for more rain, and working to build levees higher in anticipation of rising water. Heavy rain is forcing the release of water from lake traverse, on the South Dakota border. That water will flow into the Red River, further exacerbating the situation. In Grand Forks and East Grand Forks the scene reminds some of the uncertainty that surrounded the devastating flood of 1997. The communities still don't have a permanent levee system, but city officials say the work they've done since 1997 provides much improved flood protection. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson reports
April 12, 2001 - Greg Gust, meteorologist at the Grand Forks National Weather Service. Gives an outline of what the recent rain amounts were in that part of the state. Says less water as you travel north. Fargo, and Grand Forks are in better shape. Last night's rain storm wasn't quite as bad as feared. Next few days will be drizzly, cloudy, with sprinkles, but no major rain storms.
April 12, 2001 - NOTE: dated language in copy use THURSDAY only Attention has focused in the past week, on places like Breckenridge and Moorhead in the Red River valley - and Granite Falls and Montevideo along the Minnesota River. Communities along many of southeastern Minnesota's smaller water ways have been bracing for floods as well after days of pounding rain. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports flood preparation there, is mostly a waiting game.
April 12, 2001 -
April 12, 2001 - A lowered flood forecast for Granite Falls today was overshawdowed when a watermain burst. Doug Smiglewski (Smi-GLOO-skee) is the Mayor of Granite Falls. He says the town will have to find a temporary fix:
April 12, 2001 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Winona resident Calvin Fremling, who shares memories of 1965 flood that threatened the town.
April 13, 2001 - Every day forecasters are recalculating the flood outlook. Yesterday brought good news when they lowered some crest projections by up to a foot and a half. Today's outlook is largely unchanged from yesterday with river projections moving up or down by only a few tenths of an inch. Gary McDevitt is a hydrologist with the National Weather Service.
April 13, 2001 - The Big Sioux (sue) River is expected to crest today (Friday) in Watertown South Dakota ten feet above flood stage. The nearby lake will crest a few hours later about four feet above it's natural banks. The Mayor of Watertown says original projections called for an even higher crest; it seems for now, the city's avoided a crisis. Volunteers are in a holding pattern and operation centers and shelters are closing as the water makes its way through the system. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports:
April 13, 2001 - About 40 volunteers from other cities came to fill bags for the city works building in Newport. About 40 homes are potentially in harm's way.
April 13, 2001 - The rising Mississippi River has prompted the Army Corps of Engineers to close the locks from upper St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis to Alma, Wisconsin. Pleasure crafts and commercial traffic are clearing out of the main channel, and most barges are tied down along the river. Tugboat captain Eric Hudson is still on the water... traveling near La Crosse. He will continuing heading north in his boat the Barbara B. until he gets to the first closed lock. Hudson says he can usually make about seven miles an hour, but the rushing water has slowed him to a crawl: