Good Evening: Here is another round of photographs, 75 out of 322 taken Sunday, March 29, 2009. Temperature got up to around 34F, with a winter storm bearing down on the Valley beginning around 12N, Monday. You'll notice a foreboding hint of this in the first couple of images. The weather service seemed a little skittish about the amount of snow predicted. This morning it was less than 2", but I heard on a network it was going to be 12". A few minutes ago the local TV (WDAY) news said we're to get around 6-8. I'll go with them as I don't believe networks anymore. There will also be high easterly winds with this storm and will be hard on the Fargo side of the dikes. Since this is now like a long lake there will be wave action caused by these winds. Not good for us on the west side of Lake Red River (not to be confused with the real Red Lake River that flows in the Red River in Grand Forks).
I have attached two really cool photographs to this email. (not included here) They are aerial shots looking into Fargo and Moorhead. In the Fargo shot, our apartment building is visible at the upper right corner of the tall brownish building on the left. The leftmost bridge is the Main Ave Bridge, also known as the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The bridge to the right of that is the railroad trestle that has CNN so worried. The other two bridges are NP and 1st Ave Bridges, they are closed. There are only two bridges crossing the Red.... I-94 and Main.
The second aerial photo looks into North Moorhead. The building in the lower left is the Fargo VA Hospital. The complex in the upper right is the American Crystal Sugar refinery facility. The neighborhood below the sugar plant is the Moorhead Country Club. MSUM is at least 1 mile south of the sugar plant.
I spent 5 hours today walking around North from the Main Ave Bridge area to the Oak Grove neighborhood, north and east of where we live. It is an historic Fargo neighborhood, stuck out on a peninsula of one of the many oxbows and bends the river is so famous for (and one reason it floods a lot), and is the location of Oak Grove Lutheran High School. The entire neighborhood was devastated in the 1997 flood, with approimately 20 homes demolished and removed, and the high school loosing much of its campus. It is a private high school, not unlike a boarding school. They built a retaining wall after the 1997 flood and unfortunately it gave way early this morning and water seeped into the electrical tunnels and into some of the buildings and surrounding neighborhood.
The photos near the end of this series (on page 2) show a large group of National Guard and neighbors sandbagging a leak in the dike. I am not sure if it was the one that caused panic early this morning. I am to understand the Air Guard dropped about 12 Sand Balls into the breach. Sandballs are lifted by Sirkorski Helicopters and dropped into breaches like we saw with Katrina. Each ball weighs 1 ton... like a GIANORMOUS sandbag!
From the beginning of today's photos you'll get a feel for how big our levee is as it snakes through downtown Fargo. Throughout the series you see a lot of folks on the Fargo side of the Main Ave Bridge. It seems to be the only spot where people can actually get a close view of the Red... legally.
I walked into City Hall to inquire about a press pass so I could get maybe a little more freedom on my walks, but I couldn't find anybody to get me one. The inside photos are of the City Council chambers where the news conferences are held.
Notice the guy in the large front end loader is wearing a life vest, as well as the life preserver on the shovel. All personnel working on the levee are to wear life vests after last night's scare on the 2nd Street levee.
While wandering around Oak Grove, I met Chaplain CPT Maury Millican, US Army Task Force Chaplain, Joint Task Force East 141st MEB (FWD), NDARNG, a Sergeant and a Social Worker providing comfort and moral support to the folks in and around Oak Grove. I wanted photographs of what they were doing and asked if I could accompany them, so I now LEGALLY get to go behind the secondary dikes in Oak Grove. You could see that their presence did make a difference to the unlucky people in this neighborhood. This was one of my better flood experiences ... if you can have a 'good' flood experience. NOW with a military escort, and my unofficial YELLOW SAFETY vest.
I chatted a bit with Steve Poitras (a local weather/news media character) whose house finally gave into to the water. He was sad but more exhausted... maybe too exhausted to cry. I purposely did not take a photo of him, his wife or their house. And those of you who are in the know with Fargo-Moorhead Swimming Teams: yes, that is Skip Fisher.
Take Care. We're not out of this yet. The storm is on its way. Perhaps one more week and the pressure will be off the dikes and we can all rest a little easier.
Mike
OH S*!T!!! WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT--->>> 7:57 p.m.
"The National Weather Service in Grand Forks has issued a Winter Storm Warning for heavy snow... which is in effect from 1 PM Monday to 7 PM CDT Tuesday. The Winter Storm Watch is no longer in effect.
An early Spring storm will move from the Central Plains towards the Great Lakes by Wednesday... bringing the threat for significant snowfall. Snow will begin Monday afternoon and continue through Tuesday. Total snow accumulation from 8 to 12 inches with locally heavier amounts are expected. Gusty northeast winds of 20 to 25 mph will also produce reduced visibilities in blowing and drifting snow."
This will likely change things..... :-(
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