 |
         
|
Floodwater crested along the Red River over the weekend without inundating Fargo ND. All three networks updated us from the sandbagged dikes that had led their newscasts Friday. CBS' Dean Reynolds chose the angle of a late season blizzard heading in from the high plains, threatening 30 mph winds and a possible 14" snowfall. "High winds could accelerate the river current, now 16 mph instead of the usual 4 mph. The faster the river goes, the harder it is to hold within its banks along its tight twists and turns."
Both NBC's Kevin Tibbles and ABC's Barbara Pinto turned to the future. "Fargo needs $800m for permanent flood protection," Pinto pointed out. "The city's success at staving off disaster pushes it to the end when it comes to federal funds." Down river Grand Forks was flooded in 1997 and received its $400m floodwall. Canadian Tibbles showed us Winnipeg's solution, yet farther downstream along the Red River. In the '60s they built a 30-mile floodway "costing $300m in today's dollars" to divert the flow when waters rise. "Winnipeg says it saved $10bn in damages."
You must be logged in to this website to leave a comment. Please click here to log in so you can participate in the discussion.
