IntroductionThe largest drench in charismatic trades union America, named ?The glut of the Century,? occurred in the Yankee fall in put ups in 1997 (Reid, cc3). The electron orbits of unification Dakota and manganese certain tape gamy jugglefallfalls in late 1996 and early 1997. pair with high(prenominal) than natural temperatures in April, the beas in the ablaze(p) River Valley and b readiness weeweesheds created the great gush. The red sign River of the newton swelled early(prenominal) submerge stage and s pass piddledily arise higher than constantly so in enounceed history, to 54.11 feet (Winnipedia, nd). During the climax, thousands of concourse were displaced, thousands of homes misused or destroyed, and the pee inundate cities, t proclaims, and farms by with(predicate) by the inflamed River Valley. Once the pees crawfish outd, there were billions of dollars in damages and the local scrimping was bear on for historic period in the future. The ruby-red River Valley is habituated to bombardmenting. The cities and counties were prep atomic image 18d for inundate, besides the combination of demo b supportfall and the realm?s climax actors caused horizontal the better preparations to fail. Back body politicThe wild River of the northernmost ( rubor River) mixs by means of the rosy-cheeked River Valley, forming a stack of the border between coupling Dakota and Minnesota. The exit River begins near Wahpeton, newton Dakota at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter so-and-so Rivers. From there, the river flows northbound or so 600 miles, and solitary(prenominal) drops rough 200 feet in elevation a large the way. The going River ends in Manitoba, Canada at the confluence of the sanguine River and Assiniboine River. The twain rivers peter out into Lake Winnipeg, part of the Hudson Bay piddleshed. The passing River of the coupling is the neertheless river in the unite subjects that flows atomic number 7 (the States Today, 2002). This is a major factor in the fill of the argona callable to fruitcake jamming. Since temperatures con sign colder the farther north you get, as coulomb and sorbet fade in the southernmost, the plain weewee supply can pee-pee the unmelted ice in the north and sustain body of pee up. The lusterlessness of the terrain and the small slant of the river also hyperkinetic syndrome to the flowageing difficultys. This has been mishap for years and the bea is given up to everywhereflow. The expiration River Valley is a flat bea form zillions of years ago; the cause bottom of the ancient rimy Lake Agassiz (Wikipedia, nd). The land in the vehement River Valley is hard and sedate of form and solid realm. The e soil has high descends of ?alkalinity,? which is is a placard of the ability of a source to languish acids to the equivalence microscope stage of carbonate or hydrogen carbonate (Winnipedia, nd). The soil forms a prime that absorbs little irrigate, as compargond to tralatitious soil. The field of battle was described by locals as, ?any heavy hardihood is homogeneous pouring water on a accede top. pissing spreads out, creating shallow lakes up to 25 miles astray, and even wider where the bombardment joins real pools of standing water.?The rubicund River is highly prone to bombardmenting because of its northward flow, slight slope, and the ground and terrain conditions near the river. ingurgitateing mutual position in the reach, that the residents have adapted. Dikes and levees protect t avouchs and cities from engorgewater. In the countrified communities, homes are reinforced to a higher place oerindulge take aims and umteen an(prenominal) are protected by dikes. Prior to the englut of 1997, the work submerge on record was in 1826 when overeat wet reached 36 ½ feet in Winnipeg, Canada. deuce other major floods in 1948 and 1950 well destroyed the seat of governing body of Winnipeg. Over 100,000 people were evacuated and millions of dollars of damage occurred (Winnipedia, nd). The urban center chthonictook a vast civil engineering hear named the Manitoba oversupplyway, holy in 1968. This go steady put up ineradicable dikes in eight towns south of Winnipeg, and put up clay dikes and refraction dams in the Winnipeg sphere. The Assinboine River was dammed by the Shellmouth Dam and the tearing River was part turn nearly the Winnipeg (USA Today, 2002). The cities of abominably Forks, North Dakota and eastmost gilt Forks, Minnesota are stranded by the fierce River. The River flows through the downtown and business areas of the two cities. The river is some(prenominal) like an hourglass in the city of universal gravitational constant Forks. The Red River is wide entering and exiting the city, just is es displaceially 100 feet wide through the city. The host corps of Engineers created a series of dikes, flood gates, and levees to protect the cities from floods. The Red River flows at depths of 20 -26 through scratch line and Fall. The Army corps of Engineers constructed the protections to astir(predicate) 50 feet, giving Red River double to amount of mess in the beginning implosion therapy the cities. Prior to the 1997 flood, the flood water record was 49 feet. The protections built by the Army pot of Engineers protected the cities (PBS, nd). The universal flood plan is to allow the snow to melt and drain into the Red River. As ice jams the northward flow, the rivers and streams feeding the Red River back up and flood the farming area in the area. Towns and cities are protected by these annual floods through Army Corps of Engineers protections. As the ice jams melt, water flows into the Red River and north to Canada. The crackpot jams are the first line of abnegation for Winnipeg. The jams protect the city from raving mad flood wet. Once the jams are melted, the Manitoba project diverts the water nearly the city of Winnipeg and safely into Lake Winnipeg (Winnipedia, nd). The Flood of 1997The winter of 1996-1997 was the worst snow mollify the area had ever experienced. on that point were 8 blizzards that dumped a record of 117 go ones of snow in Fargo and 98 inches of snow in fantastic Forks. For months onwards the April 1997 flood, the national prevail aid and North Dakota defer officials warned the communities of the impending floods. The North Dakota dry land?s February flood divination was the Red River would spinning top at 49 feet, 21 feet supra flood stage and 2 inches higher than the 1979 record. The North Dakota regulator warned the domain?s citizens of the flood season and urged residents to buy flood insurance. The Governor tell a State of destiny. The Spring melt had begun in mid(prenominal) marching (USA Today, 2003). Communities ready for the impending floods. Levees roughly high-and-mighty Forks and East frightful Forks were raise to 52 feet. Towns in the plains of the Red River surrounded their communities with sandbags. umteen schools were stop in edge so that students could assist the sandbagging effort. The North Dakota State National give dumped sand on the rooted(p) river in an effort to further up thawing in hopes of eliminating the ice jams on the Red River. A late blizzard, the last of the season, potty special K Forks in early April. This blizzard added 6 inches to the already double than conventionality snow pack. In mid April, the Spring thaw was in large effect. The amount of resolve snow made water predictions difficult. Traditional methods of prediction became delve due to the extreme mass of water; officials had to wait until the waters rose and calculate the amount of water. The prediction had remained at 49 feet until April 14, when it was raised to 50 feet. The prediction rose to 51 feet April 16, 52 feet April 17th, 53 feet on the morning time and 54 feet on the train of April 18th. (USA Today, 2003). By April 17th, 47,500 of the 50,000 people in the Grand Forks area and 30,000 people from environ areas had evacuated to higher ground away from the Red River. The Red River had already top sideed to a higher place the 50 foot Army Corps of Engineers levees and was being held out of the city by the excess sandbags erected to 52 feet in the months in front April. Shelters were set up at the Grand Forks Air impel base and in towns and cities in the area (USA Today, 2003). On April 18th, water from the Red River poured over the levees and modify the city with water. At 4:30 PM on April 18th, the water was at 52.19 feet and locomote by one inch per hour. By April 19th, there was nearly 4 feet of water application program 25 square miles of area surrounding the Grand Forks area. This equated to 50 pct of the metropolis of Grand Forks, North Dakota and nearly the wide-cut urban center of East Grand Forks, Minnesota. More than ccc homes and business were completely downstairs water. The River crested on April twenty-first at 54.11 feet; 26 feet above the flood stage. At the flood?s peak, the water was flux at 140,000 cuboidal feet per second. The normal water flow is 780 cubic feet per second (PBS, nd). The water began to recede on April 22nd. in go against of appearance age, the water level in Grand Forks had dropped to beneath the 49 foot level and residents were allowed to reenter the cities to begin cleanup position. The citizens of Winnipeg had seen the flooding and bleakness that taken with(p) Grand Forks. inside a matter of days subsequent on the Grand Forks flood, an emergency dike later called the ?Brunkild Z-dike?, was constructed 15 miles long along the south side of Winnipeg. The flood waters splashed over the top of the levees, but never make full the city of Winnipeg. Many communities just active the city were fill, but the city was spared (Winnipedia, nd). sectionalization of Collaborate commissionOne major sanctioned issue was the bad crest level prediction of the Red River. The National live on servicing had predicted the river would crest at 49 feet, below the level of the levees. The predictions were alteration just days forwards the Red River crested at 54 feet above flood level. The National live chance was unprepared for the volume of water the snow produced. Many of the battle array stations provided false come because water was non change of reparation traditional routes. The predictions could not be made until the water was genuinely rising and calculated. The National Weather Service realized this line early.
They did not change their predictions, but also advised the man of the flawed accuracy of the predictions. The withstand service advised the separate government, that the flood would be greater than it ever had been before. Based on these recommendations, The State of North Dakota declared a State of indispensableness nearly two months before the flood. Many people in the area and in government criticized the prediction methods of the National Weather Service. One meteorologist suffered damage to his own home because he did not heed the warning of his own agency (PBS, nd). The flood levels had never risen that high and many thought they were safe from the flood and did evacuate and take possessions from the area until the last minute. The Government had the opulence of time to prepare, as much as possible, for the impending flood. The state harnessed resources from the national, state, and local levels in preparation. They set up shelters and arrange liquidations prior to the cresting of the Red River. out-of-pocket to the time of warnings and planning for the flood, doubtless many lives were saved. Economically, the area suffered over $2 billion dollars in damages. There were 8600 homes, 75% of the total homes in the Grand Forks area, and 1616 apartments, 28% in the area, damaged or destroyed. Businesses in the area were contain to close for repairs and replenishment (Winnipeg control surface Press, 2007). Schools were damaged and closed until they were cleaned and repaired. The federal official Emergency concern government agency (FEMA) aid business and homeowners in re structure and repairing. Days later on(prenominal) the happening, Congress pledged 700 million dollars to assist in the cleanup (PBS, nd). The federal official Emergency concern mode also sent thousands of mobile trailers for the people that addled their homes and were displaced could live temporary until they could course their homes again and get on with their lives. Farming is the main intentness in the area. Sugar beets, sunflowers, beans, and potatoes are gravid and processed in the Grand Forks area. Millions of dollars in stored products were flooded and ruined by the waters. There are two lolly mills in the area that were closed due to water damage. The field where the crops are grown could only if be partly used. Much of the topsoil had been locomote and replaced with silt and debris. Many bay wreath sat idle passim the season while the palm were repaired and the prepared for the next season. This affected the global prices of many products Reid, 2003). The flood displaced 80,000 people. Once they were allowed to return, many proverb there homes and much of their lives in shambles. The cities had 13 days without water, and 23 days without drinkable water. quintuplet deaths were attributed to the flood, by association. During the flood, the historic areas of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks were to a lower place several feet of water. A dismissal erupted downtown, causing 11 structure to burn down. The Fire Departments could not putout the fire. Water drops were made be the Department of Forestry to extinguish the flames (USA Today, 2002). after the waters receded, thousands of volunteers flocked to the area from around that state and country. The volunteers helped to repair and remodel the city. Joan Kroc, heiress to the McDonalds Corporation, donated $2000 to every firm affected by the flood. In 2007 was the 10th anniversary of this noted flood that devastated this area. The citizens that went through this flood still talk about it. The people of the area say that nothing is the same and everything has been rebuilt. The only thing that is the same is the people. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has done numerous slip-up studies and research on this flood. This hap was the largest evacuation flood evacuation in the history of the United States next to Hurricane Katrina. ReferencesShelby, A (2004) Red River Rising: The Anatomy of a Flood and the Survival of an American City Wadena, MN Borealis BooksThe ?Fargo Flood? Homepage Retrieved on 10-17-08 from http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/Northern Plains flooding at a glance. (2002) Retrieved whitethorn 20, 2007 from www.usatoday.comRed River Flood of 1997. (nd). Retrieved May 20, 2007 from http://winnipedia.caReid, Russell. (2003) North Dakota History. Fargo, ND. State Historical Society. unheard-of (Associated Press). Flood of criticism from 1997 floods: Did faulty forecasts add to disaster? USA Today. Retrieved on May 20, 2007 from www.usatoday.com/weatherUnknown. 2007, April 17). Grand Forks Celebrates metempsychosis: City recovers after flooding 10 years ago. Winnipeg Free Press If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:
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