North Dakota’s Grand Forks Declares Spring Flood Emergency

The city of Grand Forks has declared a flood emergency, with flooding expected on the Red River this spring.

The declaration is a necessary step to getting state help for flood-fighting.

A new dike system protects Grand Forks from a flood crest as high as 57 feet. In 1997, the river reached 54.3 feet and swamped the city, before the dike was built.

The National Weather Service says there is a 50 percent chance the river will reach 47.6 feet at Grand Forks this spring. An updated outlook is to be released Friday.

Other North Dakota governments, including Cass County upstream on the Red, have issued flood declarations.