Grand Forks Braces for Red River Surge Amid Heavy Rains

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — City officials activated flood barriers and initiated sandbagging operations in low-lying areas Saturday in response to rising Red River levels triggered by heavy rains across northern North Dakota. The Red River at Grand Forks, which stood at moderate levels early Sunday, has prompted proactive measures to safeguard neighborhoods like Lincoln Drive, vulnerable since the historic 1997 flood when dikes first breached there on April 18.

Public Works Director Michael Ulring reported more than 500 volunteers joined crews in stacking sandbags along critical points, echoing the massive effort in 1997 when thousands, including Air Force personnel from Grand Forks Air Force Base, built dikes to a 49-foot crest estimate — only for the river to hit 54 feet. Current gauges show the river below major flood stage, but officials cite rapid rises of up to one foot per hour seen in past events as reason for vigilance. No evacuations are ordered yet, unlike 1997 when Mayor Pat Owens mandated the exit of over 50,000 residents, the largest U.S. civilian evacuation since the Civil War.

Post-1997 investments exceeding $1 billion, including a $409 million federal levee system and the 2,200-acre Greenway park buffer, have fortified Grand Forks against repeats of the catastrophe that flooded thousands of homes and sparked a downtown fire engulfing 11 buildings. Similar preparations are underway in neighboring East Grand Forks, Minnesota, where buyouts cleared over 800 properties. As rains linger, emergency management urges residents to clear ditches and secure properties, ready to shelter at the Air Force Base if needed.