Dikes Bolstered as River Hits High Point

Earthen dikes meant to protect Fargo, North Dakota’s largest city, from the worst flood imaginable weren’t high enough as the Red River climbed to its highest level ever. Crews had to top off the walls with sandbags in hopes of holding back the water. To the north, 1,000 people in Grand Forks were told to evacuate their homes after cracks were found in a Red River dike. In Fargo, an entire neighborhood of 40 homes was evacuated when another dike started to look weak. After awhile, it seemed that the sandbagging effort had paid off. The Red River at Fargo hit 39.12 feet early Thursday. The old record, set precisely 100 years ago, was 39.1 feet. By noon, the river had risen to 39.39 feet, and was still expected to crest at 39.5 feet. Flood stage is 17 feet.