Saturday, March 28, 2009

Red River Tops Out At 40.82 Feet

Boy, this is scary!  I wonder if they will be able to get this situation under control.
 
Michelle
 

Saturday

March 28, 2009
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Red River Tops Out At 40.82 Feet

River Appears To Be Leveling Off

UPDATED: 12:32 pm EDT March 28, 2009
Scott Olson/Getty Images
The Red River has topped out at 40.82 feet in Fargo, N.D., and appears to be leveling off, according to CNN and MSNBC.

LIVE: Flooding Update

However, the water may take several days to recede, creating a lingering risk of a catastrophic failure in the levees.

Earlier, offficials said they were adding National Guard troops and intensifying their response to the flood.

Officials said they are increasing the level of guard troops from 1,700 troops to 1,850 and asking residents to keep an eye on dikes for possible breaches.

They are also bringing in 300 large bags that hold a ton of sand and could be dropped into breaks in the levees.

No major levee breaches or other issues were reported during the night.

Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker talked by telephone Friday with President Barack Obama, who told the state's leaders they could count on help.

Meanwhile, Obama, facing his first challenge as president from natural forces, used his weekly radio and Internet address to say he's putting the federal government's weight behind efforts to avert disaster. He said Washington will do what needs to be done.

Obama and his team no doubt are mindful of the bungled response in August 2005 to Hurricane Katrina, which has since become a symbol of the federal government's incompetence.

Obama also implored residents of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota to be vigilant in reading flood-condition reports and to follow instructions from federal, state and local officials. He repeatedly praised volunteers stockpiling sandbags and building levees.

Also offering praise is Nancy Ward, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

She and numerous other workers from FEMA are in Fargo on Saturday. Ward said she wanted to see the situation firsthand to better understand the challenges.

She complimented local leaders for their organized response to the surging Red River, saying strong local leadership makes the federal government's job easier.

Ward said the New Orleans hurricanes taught FEMA that it must have people on the scene sooner and work with local and state governments to make sure the agency offers the help they need.

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Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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