Red River Flood 1997 Past Floods Origins Of The 1997 Flood

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 worst flood on record was in 1826, when settlers of the Selkirk Colony fled water reaching 11.1m above the river bed.

Floods in 1948 and 1950 reached a high of 9.2m at Winnipeg—causing 10,000 people to be evacuated and $606 million (in 1997 Canadian dollars) of damage, prompting the government of Manitoba to set up flood safety measures.

Significant floods also occurred in 1882, 1897, 1969, 1975, 1989, and 19961996 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty''. Events January January 5 Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone Jan.

2 Origins of the 1997 flood

3 The flood in North Dakota and Minnesota

The Red River forms the border between North Dakota and Minnesota. Few cities lie directly on the river, with the most notable exception being Grand Forks, North DakotaGrand Forks is a city located in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 49,321. It is the county seat of Grand Forks County 6 and the third largest city in North Dakota. Grand Forks is home to the Unive and its sister city East Grand Forks, MinnesotaEast Grand Forks is a city located in Polk County, Minnesota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,501. The city, along with Grand Forks, North Dakota, was heavily damaged by a 1997 flood. Geography According to the United States Ce, although other cities saw significant flooding and damage as well, including FargoFargo is a city located in Cass County in the US state of North Dakota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 90,599. It is the county seat of Cass County 6. It is also the largest city in North Dakota. General Information The United S- MoorheadMoorhead is a city located in Clay County, Minnesota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 32,177. It is the county seat of Clay County 6. The city is on the border between North Dakota and Minnesota, defined by the Red River of the N 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.

There was some sense of imminent threat in Grand Forks, but little time to prepare. The cities evacuated and did what they could to bolster the levees, with extensive help from surrounding communities. Unfortunately, on April 18, 1997 the Red River spilled over the levees in Grand Forks and into the cities. The downtown areas, closest to the river, were almost completely destroyed. Few areas of the cities were not touched by the water. The river returned to its banks on April 28, but a lot of water lingered into May.

The flood made national news. The most familiar footage would probably be the fire that ironically blazed downtown, surrounded by floodwaters. The Grand Forks Herald building was totally destroyed in the fire, along with 120 years of archives.

All told, there was $2 billion USD in damage to Grand Forks by the flood. A nationwide outpouring of support helped speed the area's recovery.

4 The flood in Manitoba

The province constructed the Red River Floodway in 1968, 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 7.5m, which caused 28,000 people to be evacuated and $500 million CAD in damage to property and infrastructure. Called the "The Flood of the Century", the 1997 flood had a probability of occurrence of about 1 in 100, and came close to overcoming Winnipeg's existing flood protection system.

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.

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 with more than 2,560 km² of land underwater. Nicknamed the "Red Sea", this temporary lake forced about 75,000 people to abandon their homes. $450 million in damage was caused.

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.

5 External links

Manitoba Minnesota North Dakota Historic floods 1997

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Home > Red River Flood, 1997

1 Past floods