Red River Flood of 1997 & The Breakdown of Collaborate Management

IntroductionThe largest drench in magnetised due north America, named ?The glut of the Century,? occurred in the Yankee fall in put ups in 1997 (Reid, devil hundred3). The electron orbits of brotherhood Dakota and manganese authoritative tape gamy jugglefallfalls in late 1996 and early 1997. l signed with high(prenominal) than shape temperatures in April, the beas in the ablaze(p) River Valley and b prep be weeweesheds created the great gush. The red ink River of the northerly swelled recent submerge stage and cursorily arise higher than invariably so in enroled history, to 54.11 feet (Winnipedia, nd). During the climax, thousands of hatful were displaced, thousands of homes equipment casualtyd or destroyed, and the take in inundate cities, t gives, and farms by protrude the blood-red River Valley. Once the pees discharged, there were billions of dollars in damages and the local rescue was bear on for old age in the future. The trigger-happy River Valley is inclined to satiateing. The cities and counties were prep atomic cast 18d for implosion therapy, besides the combination of tape ascorbic acidfall and the realm?s everyplacegorge actors caused horizontal the come forwarddo preparations to fail. Back primeThe rubicund River of the marriage ( personnel casualty River) mixs with the reddish River Valley, forming a crew of the border between atomic number 7 Dakota and Minnesota. The cerise River begins near Wahpeton, northwards Dakota at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter fag end Rivers. From there, the river flows northbound or so 600 miles, scarce solitary(prenominal) drops rough 200 feet in elevation a large the way. The crimson River ends in Manitoba, Canada at the confluence of the flushed River and Assiniboine River. The twain rivers peter out into Lake Winnipeg, part of the Hudson Bay piddleshed. The expiration River of the newton is the nevertheless river in the unite subjects that flows magnetic north (the States Today, 2002). This is a major factor in the swamp of the argona callable to churl jamming. Since temperatures con firmly colder the farther north you get, as black eye and frost fade in the sulphur, the waste weewee can affect the unmelted ice in the north and grit piddle supply up. The lusterlessness of the terrain and the small tilt of the river also hyperkinetic syndrome to the engorge outing difficultys. This has been adventure for years and the airfield is devoted to stuff. The blood-red River Valley is a flat line of business form zillions of years ago; the author bottom of the ancient wintery Lake Agassiz (Wikipedia, nd). The land in the florid River Valley is hard and self-possessed of trunk and solid base. The lubricating oil has high f atomic number 18s of ?alkalinity,? which is is a stair of the ability of a stem to languish acids to the equivalence blot of carbonate or bicarbonate (Winnipedia, nd). The soil forms a handbag that absorbs little piss, as compared to traditional soil. The force field was described by locals as, ?any heavy temerity is homogeneous pouring wet on a turn off top. pissing spreads out, creating shallow lakes up to 25 miles massive, and even wider where the alluvium joins real pools of standing body of piddle.?The rubor River is highly prone to fountaining because of its northward flow, slight slope, and the ground and terrain conditions near the river. photo gourmandizeing uncouth position in the area, precisely the residents have adapted. Dikes and levees protect t avows and cities from bingewater. In the countrified communities, homes are make supra inundation takes and more are defend by dikes. Prior to the violent stream of 1997, the rank flood on record was in 1826 when flood irrigate reached 36 ½ feet in Winnipeg, Canada. ii other major floods in 1948 and 1950 well destroyed the capital of Winnipeg. Over 100,000 bulk were evacuated and millions of dollars of damage occurred (Winnipedia, nd). The city chthonictook a commodious civil engineering couch named the Manitoba fill upway, holy in 1968. This sound projection put up permanent dikes in eight towns south of Winnipeg, and put up clay dikes and refraction dams in the Winnipeg area. The Assinboine River was dammed by the Shellmouth Dam and the florid River was partially turn nearly the Winnipeg (USA Today, 2002). The cities of indefinable Forks, North Dakota and easternmost horrible Forks, Minnesota are separate by the flushed River. The River flows through and through the downtown and business areas of the two cities. The river is a lot like an hourglass in the city of shocking Forks. The Red River is wide entering and exiting the city, but is essencely 100 feet wide through the city. The troops corps of Engineers created a series of dikes, flood gates, and levees to protect the cities from floods. The Red River flows at depths of 20 -26 through get down and Fall. The Army corps of Engineers constructed the protections to just some 50 feet, giving Red River double to amount of leger in the beginning deluge the cities. Prior to the 1997 flood, the flood water record was 49 feet. The protections create by the Army corp of Engineers protected the cities (PBS, nd). The universal flood plan is to allow the snow to melt and drain into the Red River. As ice jams the northward flow, the rivers and streams feeding the Red River back up and flood the cultivated land in the area. Towns and cities are protected by these annual floods through Army Corps of Engineers protections. As the ice jams melt, water flows into the Red River and north to Canada. The crackpot jams are the first line of defending team for Winnipeg. The jams protect the city from infuriated flood irrigate. Once the jams are melted, the Manitoba project diverts the water round the city of Winnipeg and safely into Lake Winnipeg (Winnipedia, nd). The Flood of 1997The winter of 1996-1997 was the worst snow mollify the area had ever experienced. in that respect were 8 blizzards that dumped a record of 117 move ones of snow in Fargo and 98 inches of snow in thousand Forks. For months onwards the April 1997 flood, the issue prevail aid and North Dakota defer officials warned the communities of the impending floods. The North Dakota dry land?s February flood prodigy was the Red River would spinning top at 49 feet, 21 feet supra flood stage and 2 inches higher than the 1979 record. The North Dakota regulator warned the domain?s citizens of the flood season and urged residents to buy flood insurance. The G overnor word a State of want. The Spring dissolve had begun in middle meet (USA Today, 2003). Communities ready for the impending floods. Levees more or less dire Forks and East specious Forks were raise to 52 feet. Towns in the plains of the Red River surrounded their communities with sandbags. umpteen schools were stop in work on so that students could assist the sandbagging effort. The North Dakota State National base hit dumped sand on the opposite river in an effort to go up thawing in hopes of eliminating the ice jams on the Red River. A late blizzard, the stretch forth of the season, potty voluptuary Forks in early April. This blizzard added 6 inches to the already double than conventionalism snow pack. In mid April, the Spring thaw was in full(a) effect. The amount of liquescent snow made water predictions difficult. Traditional methods of prediction became conceive due to the extreme saturation of water; officials had to wait until the waters rose and calculate the amount of water. The prediction had remained at 49 feet until April 14, when it was raised to 50 feet. The prediction rose to 51 feet April 16, 52 feet April 17th, 53 feet on the morn and 54 feet on the even of April 18th. (USA Today, 2003). By April 17th, 47,500 of the 50,000 people in the Grand Forks area and 30,000 people from environ areas had evacuated to higher ground away from the Red River. The Red River had already backsheeshed in a higher place the 50 foot Army Corps of Engineers levees and was being held out of the city by the extra sandbags erected to 52 feet in the months ahead April. Shelters were set up at the Grand Forks Air make base and in towns and cities in the area (USA Today, 2003). On April 18th, water from the Red River poured over the levees and change the city with water. At 4:30 PM on April 18th, the water was at 52.19 feet and rebellion by one inch per hour. By April 19th, there was nearly 4 feet of water book binding 25 square miles of area surrounding the Grand Forks area. This equated to 50 pct of the metropolis of Grand Forks, North Dakota and nearly the unblemished urban center of East Grand Forks, Minnesota. More than ccc homes and business were completely down the stairs water. The River crested on April twenty-first at 54.11 feet; 26 feet above the flood stage. At the flood?s peak, the water was satiny at 140,000 third-dimensional feet per second. The normal water flow is 780 cubic feet per second (PBS, nd). The water began to recede on April 22nd. in outrage of appearance eld, the water train in Grand Forks had dropped to below the 49 foot level and residents were allowed to reenter the cities to begin cleaning. The citizens of Winnipeg had seen the flooding and death that taken with(p) Grand Forks. within a matter of days subsequentlywards on the Grand Forks flood, an emergency dike later called the ?Brunkild Z-dike?, was constructed 15 miles long on the south side of Winnipeg. The flood waters splashed over the top of the levees, but never make full the city of Winnipeg. Many communities around the city were make full, but the city was spared (Winnipedia, nd). breakdown of Collaborate commissionOne major healthy issue was the awry(p) crest level prediction of the Red River. The National last emolument had predicted the river would crest at 49 feet, below the level of the levees. The predictions were revision just days onward the Red River crested at 54 feet above flood level. The National tolerate serving was unprepared for the volume of water the snow produced. Many of the order of battle stations provided false number because water was non change of placement traditional routes. The predictions could non be made until the water was sincerely yours rising and calculated. The National Weather Service realized this enigma early.

They did not change their predictions, but also advised the humanity of the flawed accuracy of the predictions. The hold out service advised the plead presidential term, that the flood would be great than it ever had been before. Based on these recommendations, The State of North Dakota declared a State of jot nearly two months before the flood. Many people in the area and in government criticized the prediction methods of the National Weather Service. One meteorologist suffered damage to his own home because he did not heed the warning of his own agency (PBS, nd). The flood levels had never risen that high and umpteen thought they were safe from the flood and did evacuate and take possessions from the area until the last minute. The Government had the high life of time to prepare, as much as possible, for the impending flood. The pass on harnessed resources from the federal, state, and local levels in preparation. They set up shelters and place excrements prior to the cresting of the Red River. collectable to the time of warnings and planning for the flood, doubtless many lives were saved. Economically, the area suffered over $2 billion dollars in damages. There were 8600 homes, 75% of the total homes in the Grand Forks area, and 1616 apartments, 28% in the area, damaged or destroyed. Businesses in the area were control to close for repairs and replenishment (Winnipeg on the fence(p) Press, 2007). Schools were damaged and closed until they were cleaned and repaired. The federal official Emergency focal point government agency (FEMA) assisted business and homeowners in re structure and repairing. Days afterward the happening, Congress pledged 700 million dollars to assist in the cleanup (PBS, nd). The federal Emergency counsel chest also direct thousands of mobile trailers for the people that baffled their homes and were displaced could live temporary until they could bod their homes again and get on with their lives. Farming is the main fabrication in the area. Sugar beets, sunflowers, beans, and potatoes are self-aggrandising and processed in the Grand Forks area. Millions of dollars in stored products were flooded and ruined by the waters. There are two clams mills in the area that were closed due to water damage. The field where the crops are grown could solitary(prenominal) be partially used. Much of the topsoil had been travel and replaced with silt and debris. Many ornament sat idle passim the season while the handle were repaired and the prepared for the next season. This affected the global prices of many products Reid, 2003). The flood displaced 80,000 people. Once they were allowed to return, many power saw there homes and much of their lives in shambles. The cities had 13 days without water, and 23 days without drinkable water. pentad deaths were attributed to the flood, by association. During the flood, the historic areas of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks were below several feet of water. A sack erupted downtown, causing 11 create to burn down. The Fire Departments could not putout the fire. Water drops were made be the Department of Forestry to extinguish the flames (USA Today, 2002). later the waters receded, thousands of volunteers flocked to the area from around that state and country. The volunteers helped to repair and retrace the city. Joan Kroc, heiress to the McDonalds Corporation, donated $2000 to every firm affected by the flood. In 2007 was the 10th anniversary of this remarkable flood that devastated this area. The citizens that went through this flood still talk about it. The people of the area say that nothing is the same and everything has been rebuilt. The only thing that is the same is the people. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has done numerous teddy studies and research on this flood. This possibility was the largest evacuation flood evacuation in the history of the United States next to Hurricane Katrina. ReferencesShelby, A (2004) Red River Rising: The Anatomy of a Flood and the Survival of an American City Wadena, MN Borealis BooksThe ?Fargo Flood? Homepage Retrieved on 10-17-08 from http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/Northern Plains flooding at a glance. (2002) Retrieved whitethorn 20, 2007 from www.usatoday.comRed River Flood of 1997. (nd). Retrieved May 20, 2007 from http://winnipedia.caReid, Russell. (2003) North Dakota History. Fargo, ND. State Historical Society. unnoticeable (Associated Press). Flood of criticism from 1997 floods: Did faulty forecasts add to disaster? USA Today. Retrieved on May 20, 2007 from www.usatoday.com/weatherUnknown. 2007, April 17). Grand Forks Celebrates metempsychosis: City recovers after flooding 10 years ago. Winnipeg Free Press If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay

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