The Red is still on the rise.

The Red River has passed the Flood level of 1979 (48.81 ft) and is now at 49.07 ft. It is now the third highest flood on record and still on the rise. The dike system is built to protect to 60 feet. The crest is now predicted to reach 51 ft.

When I was a kid everyone compared the river level to the 1950 or 1966 flood. In high school the 1979 flood became the new benchmark to compare the river level with. Now its the 1997 flood that is the benchmark. Let us hope that the 2009 flood does not become a new benchmark.




USGS Image



USGS Chart 3/31/09