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Severe flooding situation in Minot, ND


mike2010

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http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=bis&gage=mion8&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1%22

Apparently, this hasn't gotten much news yet..

A member on another forum posted this -

Hey guys, not to change the subject, but I thought I'd share this here.

I live in Minot, North Dakota, and for the past two months, we've been fighting record flood problems. In 1969, we had the worst flood in our state's history, which destroyed thousands of homes through the valley in our city(our city is two hills, and a valley where the river runs through). To prevent this from happening again, the city raised taxes to fund 2 dams in canada to help prevent flooding. The city also created a huge trenching system throughout town where water was known to flood.

Anyway, we get to 2011, where a huge snow melt filled up the reservoire in Canada, and as a result, filled up the one in our state. The result of this, increasing water flows from both the dams, which leads to our city. Record rainfall has fueled the flood's fire..... causing our city to build 8 foot dikes around town, blocking off many roadways. We had a streak of no rain, and we thought we had made it through it... the river had gone down, and those that were evacuated could return home. Over the past week though, Canada has been getting record rainfall, filling up the reservoir there to a dangerous brim, putting too much pressure on the dam, causing them to release a ton of water. This water leads to the reservoir in our state....which is full. As a result, on Thursday we will have the worst flood in our state's history. Thousands have been evacuated, and the stress, and emotion is running high throughout the whole city. It's expected that through the whole valley, there will be 10ft deep of water, which is expected to destroy thousands of homes and other structures. This is happening so fast, that we hardly have time to prepare for it. Poor recording of the river level from the Canadian side of the river have made it a panic here, knowing that an inevitable flood is on its way. We have 2 days..... fortunately, my house is safe. The only thing we have to do is plug our sewer drains, which should stop any water from getting in our house. I just feel upset for the thousands that could return to destroyed homes.

FEMA has denied the state aid.... now thousands will be bankrupt after the water destroys their homes.

maybe the media will wake up now..

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Amazing number of homes destroyed by weather this year - just incredible

This will only add to the numbers.

Sadly true and it's still ongoing. Between the threat to a large portion of Council Bluffs (potentially up to 30,000+ people evacuated if a catastrophic failure occurs there) and other towns along the Missouri and eventually Mississippi river (again), and who knows how many more damaging storms nature has in store for us, I can't imagine what the total cost in damage/loss will be by years end.

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Holy cow that is an insane picture. I have traveled that area several times. It is hard to believe I-29 is submerged like that. Any additional rain will only cause further problems unfortunately in this region.

The MO river flooding has been out of the media that far downstream..summer snow melt continues in MT and a very wet pattern shaping up(or has been)

perhaps this thread could also cover the mo river flooding

2nd highest crest in Omaha I think

the problem is with the huge snow melt upstream the river will remain high all summer

FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO

236 PM CDT TUE JUN 21 2011

...FLOOD WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR POINTS ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER...

.PLEASE NOTE CURRENT FORECAST STAGES ONLY ACCOUNT FOR OBSERVED

PRECIPITATION AND FORECAST PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...

AND UPSTREAM RESERVOIR RELEASES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. DUE TO

EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AND ANTICIPATED SNOW MELT ACROSS THE DAKOTAS

AND MONTANA...RECORD UPSTREAM RESERVOIR RELEASES ARE ONGOING AND WILL

CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE SUMMER. THIS WILL CAUSE MANY DOWNSTREAM

LOCATIONS ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER TO REMAIN IN FLOOD INTO

AUGUST...WITH THE POTENTIAL OF SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RIVER STAGES

AND MORE SERIOUS FLOODING CONCERNS. IN ADDITION...AN ACTIVE WEATHER

PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK WITH

THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY FOR SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL ACROSS NORTHERN AND

CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN.

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http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/555952/-It-s-a-sad-day----Crest-could-be-10-feet-higher-than-June-1.html?nav=5010

The flows currently rolling rapidly toward Minot, and even more water projected to follow, is of such volume that it is beyond the comprehension of NWS computer modeling.

"One of the biggest problems we'll experience with this is that it is far and above and beyond any previous experience as far as cfs," remarked Schlag. "Rating curves just don't apply anymore. A person is left to their own devices to come up with numbers."

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new crest is 3 feet lower, so maybe it won't be as bad.

Then again as Witness mentioned :

The flows currently rolling rapidly toward Minot, and even more water projected to follow, is of such volume that it is beyond the comprehension of NWS computer modeling.

Can you share with us which forum that was from?

non weather related forum , just some dude that lived in the area.

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Water is now overtopping the levees in Minot.

Flash Flood Warning000WGUS53 KBIS 221441FFWBISNDC101-222030-/O.NEW.KBIS.FF.W.0014.110622T1441Z-110622T2030Z//00000.3.DM.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTEDFLASH FLOOD WARNINGNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND941 AM CDT WED JUN 22 2011THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BISMARCK HAS ISSUED A* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR LEVEE OVER TOPPING IN... EAST CENTRAL WARD COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...* UNTIL 330 PM CDT.* AT 930 AM CDT...THE MINOT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER HAS REPORTED LEVEES BEGINNING TO OVER TOP IN PARTS OF MINOT.* MANDATORY EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN ORDERED ALONG THE SOURIS RIVER THROUGH PARTS OF MINOT. THOSE IN THE MANDATORY EVACUATION ZONES SHOULD BE MOVING TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. REMAIN CALM...BUT MOVE QUICKLY...FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. THE NATIONAL GUARD HAS IDENTIFIED SEVERAL AREAS OF CONCERN IN THE OAK DRIVE...ODDS TRAILER COURT AND TENTH STREET AND WEST CENTRAL AREAS. FLOODING OF OTHER PARTS OF MINOT IS EXPECTED AS RIVER LEVELS CONTINUE TO RISE.* THIS FLASH FLOOD WARNING EXTENDS ALONG THE SOURIS RIVER FROM BURLINGTON...THROUGH MINOT....AND LOGAN TO SAWYER.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLASH FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR ISIMMINENT. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.&&LAT...LON 4824 10123 4813 10109 4811 10102 4806 10102 4811 10116 4821 10129 4822 10138 4826 10146 4829 10141 4825 10133$$AYD/JP MARTIN

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Here is a PDF Map from the City of Minot showing the evacuation zones along with the amount of inundation at the 1562' level. Current foreast has max level at 1560' at the end of the forecast period (but not cresting yet). The number currently told to evacuate is 25% of the number that had to leave Grand Forks in 1997. Finally looks like to media is waking up some as it is clear this will be a very serious flooding event.

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Text of the Civil Emergency Message:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT R

ELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 105 PM CDT WED JUN 22 2011

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MINOT POLICE DEPARTMENT. WATER IS OVER TOPPING DIKES IN SEVERAL AREAS. ALL RESIDENTS IN EVACUATION ZONES ONE THROUGH NINE IN THE CITY OF MINOT MUST EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. THOSE IN THE MANDATORY EVACUATION ZONES SHOULD BE MOVING TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. REMAIN CALM...BUT MOVE QUICKLY...FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. $ AYD/KS

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On a similar but unrelated note, Council Bluffs is at Alert Level 1 (of 3) in regards to the Levee situation there now. Not an imminent failure expected but basically it's the same as telling people be ready to leave at any moment.

http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/documents/CB_Release_062211-alert-level-1.pdf

A culmination of issues has prompted to us elevate our preparations in order to maintain a sustainable

infrastructure throughout the duration of this flood event. The issues have been:

• Crossing over the 34 foot river level threshold

• Passing the 150,000 cubic foot per second release of water at the Gavins Point Dam

• The above normal precipitation forecast for the water shed area above Council Bluffs

• The duration of seepage and high ground water levels inside the levee which can cause

additional risk

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Call me bias...but I also feel that this thread needs to be revised to include all of the Missouri River Basin. Especially since Omaha, NE was past '93 levels earlier this month.

Note the date of this product...

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO

800 PM CDT THU JUN 2 2011

...SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS LIKELY ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER

THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS...

THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS REGULATES THE FLOW IN SEVERAL

DAMS ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER IN THE DAKOTAS AND IN MONTANA. THE

LAST OF THESE DAMS IS GAVINS POINT RESERVOIR...JUST WEST OF

YANKTON SOUTH DAKOTA. THROUGHOUT THE WINTER AND SPRING...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF HAS COMPLETELY FILLED THESE RESERVOIRS TO THE

POINT THAT THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT STORAGE LEFT IN THESE

RESERVOIRS. SO BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS MONTH...THE CORPS PLANS TO

RELEASE 150- THOUSAND CFS FROM THIS DAM...OR MORE THAN TWICE THE

PREVIOUS RECORD RELEASE FROM THIS DAM SET IN 1997. IT IS LIKELY

THIS HIGH RELEASE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL AT LEAST AUGUST.

THIS HIGH RELEASE OF WATER...COMBINED WITH NORMAL INFLOW FROM

DOWNSTREAM TRIBUTARIES...WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT AND PROLONGED

FLOODING ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER FROM JEFFERSON CITY TO SAINT

CHARLES. IF RAINFALL IS ABOVE THE LONG TERM AVERAGE THIS

SUMMER...MAJOR OR EVEN RECORD FLOODING COULD RESULT.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE PROVIDES A RANGE OF POSSIBLE CRESTS EXPECTED

ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER IF RAINFALL IS WITHIN THE REALM OF

AVERAGE OR NORMAL VALUES IN THE TRIBUTARIES FEEDING INTO THE

MISSOURI RIVER BELOW THE GAVINS POINT RESERVOIR...GIVEN THE

PLANNED RELEASE OF 150-THOUSAND CFS.

LOCATION FS RANGE OF CRESTS RECORD (YEAR)

-------- -- --------------- -----------------

JEFFERSON CITY 21 27 FT TO 32 FT 38.30 (7/31/1993)

CHAMOIS 17 24 FT TO 29 FT 33.30 (7/31/1993)

GASCONADE 21 30 FT TO 35 FT 39.60 (7/31/1993)

HERMANN 21 27 FT TO 33 FT 36.97 (7/31/1993)

WASHINGTON 20 23 FT TO 32 FT 35.40 (7/31/1993)

SAINT CHARLES 25 28 FT TO 37 FT 40.11 (6/24/1884)

$$

FUCHS

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Wow they've upped the crest prediction again, now all residents outside the evacuation zone in the valley are being told to leave by this evening. This is terrible...

http://minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/556032/BROADWAY-CLOSED--VALLEY-RESIDENTS-SHOULD-EVACUATE-NOW.html?nav=5010

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=bis&gage=mion8&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1%22

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Effective immediately, Minot State University is closed through Friday, with further updates to come. In the event of a breach in the campus dike, personnel will be evacuated to the Dome.

Reading that gives me flashbacks to New Orleans...Granted just a name but still.

Can't imagine how Minot residents are, knowing pretty much most of the town will be under water within 24 hours and lasting for likely weeks minimum.

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