Floods, Blizzards and Tornadoes…ah Spring

A large swirling storm system in the central portion of North America is spinning north into western Ontario today. This storm has been responsible for heavy rain and snow across the Dakotas and Minnesota north into Manitoba. Some areas have received over 20 inches of snow. Strong winds have produced blowing and drifting snow along with zero visibility. East of the snow line it is heavy rain and lots of it on the already swollen Red River Valley. Thunderstorms and nearly a dozen tornadoes have also been reported along the trailing cold front. The storm will slide northward while the frontal system moves into Ontario and Quebec with rain on Thursday.

The Red River flows north from the Central plains into Manitoba. It is the dividing line along the North Dakota and Minnesota border. I had the advantage of crossing over the bridge you see in the photo above back in 1997. It was two months after this photo was taken. The 1997 flood broke records on both sides of the border for its depth, movement, extent and damage. When I travelled through Grand Forks, North Dakota in June 1997, there were still images of the devastation everywhere, including the building in the photo below.

There are indications that this years flood could be worse. Flood forecasters are expecting the river to reach almost 42 feet at Fargo this week. Yesterday volunteers packed hundreds of thousands of sandbags in an effort to save the town. Further north in Grand Forks where the photo was taken, they are preparing for the crest some time next week. All this water along with any new precipitation will flow north into Manitoba by early April. Civil Defence and Emergency officials are already preparing for what could be a record year. This story is just beginning and you will hear plenty about it over the next couple of weeks. For a complete history of Red River flooding and current updates check out the link below.

                    Current Red River Flood Information