Fargo Flood 2009 pics

[FattyBoomBatty]

I was up there last week sandbagging and keeping my aunt, uncle and two cousins company. For a couple days, I was trapped by high water and a contingency dike on the road in their development. I'll keep adding more, but it takes a while to upload them.

Here's looking down the road away from their house, maybe a block or so away from their driveway.
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/data/588/medium/DSC02597.JPG

Here's 180 degrees from that pic, looking toward the end of the culdesac where they are.
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/data/588/medium/DSC02600.JPG

Here's their house from the street. Water all around them. Behind the house, it's about 150-200 yards to the river when it's in it's banks.
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/data/588/medium/DSC02594.JPG

The National Guard stopped by for a beer and some pizza. Well, not really. They went to every house in flood zones getting people out that were stuck or stranded, or just bringing supplies if people needed them.
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/data/588/medium/DSC02618.JPG

And here's the day I left, this last monday. This road was closed the day before. Higher water and wee icebergs made it pretty much impassable, but the icebergs were pretty much gone monday, so I made like oregon trail and drove my ford through the river.
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/data/588/medium/DSC02625.JPG

Like I said, I have a bunch more, but slow internets, so some will show up later. Enjoy! :)

[Febo]

Holy crap.... thats nuts.

[A//// Guy]

Cool pics!! Sucks that this is happening though... but it is an every year event.

[GnArKiLl]

we are starting to get the same thing here in good old south dakota

[FattyBoomBatty]

It's never been this high before since fargo was inhabited as a city, but yeah, it goes up every year. That last pic shows what happens when it gets really high. Overland flooding. It fills up the farm fields and flows over I-29, closing that, but in doing so, it relieves the water buildup closer to the river, so what you see at their house is likely the highest it will ever really get, unless the area is developed more. More houses = less places for water to go, thus higher water.

If fargo and moorhead are smart, they will limit, north/south expansion in favor of east/west development.

[HiImBrian]

Yea this isn't really an every year event at all. Sure the frolf courses get a little wet every year, but it's never been this bad before.

Here's a few pics I took.
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs027.snc1/2652_634068514620_16927411_39348813_5809780_n.jpg
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs027.snc1/2652_634068589470_16927411_39348826_7466126_n.jpg
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs027.snc1/2652_634068594460_16927411_39348827_4776240_n.jpg
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs027.snc1/2652_634068684280_16927411_39348844_516774_n.jpg
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs027.snc1/2652_634068644360_16927411_39348836_6263507_n.jpg
That last one was at 4am when me and my buddy were on dike patrol. We had to make sure the pumps didn't give out and nothing went wrong. We decided to make the best of it and drink a few and make a little fire/shelter to stay warm lol.

p.s. fargo is famous
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=220617&title=cnn-stop-the-press

[tpunx99GSX]

At least the water looks somewhat clean. But all in all that sucks. I heard about this from my fiances grandpa.

[Kracka]

It was very nice of you to ho help sandbag!

[FattyBoomBatty]

That last pic from Brian is funny because it made me think of the enormous quantity of beer consumed during this whole thing. The guy who was in charge of the dike down the middle of the road (in the pic with the 2.5ton military truck) was apparently completely wasted, and that's why it's crooked and all over the road! (Supposedly, haha).

Thanks for your pics Brian, and you did more than me, I'm sure. I never had to patrol dikes or stay up super late. Nice work.

[Kevin 1G Drummer]

Wow, I bet your aunt and uncle are glad their house is on that little hill!