More rain is expected across the northern Plains later this week which will re-aggravate flooding concerns along the Red River of the North.
Published Apr. 26, 2022 5:07 AM EDT | Updated Apr. 27, 2022 1:03 PM EDT
In the wake of heavy rain and snowmelt this past week, flood mitigation efforts are underway across communities that border the Red River in North Dakota, Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada. Scenes of washed-out roads, flooded fields, closed bridges and emergency personnel filling sandbags have become common in these places as a result of the high water.
Unfortunately, the reprieve from wet weather will be short-lived along the Red River basin, creating concerns for long-term flooding issues.
With the 25th anniversary of the flood of 1997 fresh in the minds of many residents this past week, efforts have been implemented to assure a similar scenario does not occur. Luckily, the expected crest is not expected to approach that benchmark.
In 1997, the Red River gauge at Grand Forks rose to a whopping 54.35 feet, setting the all-time record. The expected crest later this week is forecast to climb to around 46 feet, falling 8 feet short of the record. Regardless, this expected crest would still land solidly in the top 10 highest crests of all time in Grand Forks.
"The ongoing flooding across much of the Red River Valley of the North is due to a series of events that unfortunately keep adding up. The heavy rainfall late last week that helped rapidly melt snow from the blizzard earlier this month dumped a large amount of moisture on already saturated soil from the earlier snowmelt from late March and early April," AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz explained.
"This led to a direct injection of meltwater right into area streams and rivers and is helping to drive up the Red River to near historic levels in places from Grand Forks on north," Benz stated.
Due to the flat terrain in the area, floodwaters can take a long time to recede along the Red River, which is why the late-week threat of heavy rain is concerning. The river may only drop a few feet back into moderate flood stage before the rain begins again.
In recent days, communities near the Red River of the North have come together to construct walls of sandbags to protect areas from being flooded.
The Red River of the North is forecast to crest just under 38 feet at Oslo, Minnesota late this week.
Dry and chilly conditions are expected across the northern Plains into Wednesday night as an area of high pressure settles overhead. On Thursday, AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring a budding storm moving out of the Rockies and into the High Plains, which will ultimately produce the threat of heavy rain in the northern Plains late week.
Places like Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota, can experience a bit of light rain on Thursday, however rainfall totals should not be to the magnitude of elevating flooding issues. Similarly, on Friday, light rain is in the forecast, but it will be more of a nuisance than anything else.
The main slug of moisture is expected to arrive on Saturday along the Red River Valley as the storm shifts northeastward.
The only bit of good news for residents across the Red River Valley is that the expected zone of heaviest rain could end up being along the western fringes of the river's watershed. Regardless, an additional inch or two of rain is possible between late Friday night through the weekend, which could easily send the river back toward major flood stage once again.
"While many towns along the Red River Valley are well protected, even from this kind of flooding, many roads and bridges will close. The town of Oslo, Minnesota, will likely become an island in the river for a period of time as roads, railroads and bridges close," Benz added.
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The lasting effects from another inch or two of rain in this region could have long-standing repercussions ranging from long-term flooding to planting and fieldwork delays for area farmers during the month of May.
In addition to the threat of late-week rainfall, there could be another storm on the horizon around midweek next week that could further exacerbate ongoing flooding issues.
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