Minot, ND is in big trouble. The Souris River started overspilling the levees at 9:30am this morning. (At least it waited until morning.)
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for the entire town sorry! it's one-third of the town, not the entire town.
Minot American Red Cross-Donate if you can
follow on twitter using #Minot and #Minotflood.
Historical flood crest information (from NOAA):
Historical Crests
(1) 1,558.00 ft on 01/01/1881
(2) 1,556.08 ft on 04/18/1976
(3) 1,555.40 ft on 04/20/1969
(4) 1,555.15 ft on 04/20/1904
(5) 1,544.06 ft on 04/12/1996
This flood is expected to be six or seven FEET higher than the highest recorded crest.
RuralRoute's Diary on Minot, ND flooding here
I've never been to Minot. I meant to go, last summer-I had plans to drive along the northern US border, as far north as I could get and still be in the lower 48, to Glacier National Park and back. Minot was on my list of places to visit.
For various reasons that trip never happened. I'd still like to visit Minot someday, but I'm starting to wonder if Minot will still be there.
Background: Minot, ND is a city of just over 40,000 people less than 60 miles south of the US/Canada border.
Here is a map of the town. Take a look at the river.
from mapquest
This flooding was predicted by NOAA back in March, but the timetable has accelerated dramatically due to substantial rain in Canada. That, plus the snow melt from a very busy winter has put Minot in quite a bit of danger.
This event is expected to keep evacuees away from their homes for several weeks.
Evacuation information and assistance:
Evacuation zones from minotnd.org
Ward County Flood information
Minot American Red Cross
FEMA disaster assistance FAQ
If people have damage they should call FEMA immediately at 1-877-212-0316 to start the process.
Track the flood levels at NOAA
Significant event timeline:
June 22
9:30am The Souris River begins to overflow levees in Minot.
11:00am The National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning after the water levels rise four feet in a brief period of time.
12:57pm Warning sirens for evacuation begin to sound, 5 hours early.
Media Resources:
kxmc livestream
weather.com page on Minot flood
cnn.com story
local Minot media reports
Minot Daily News
KMOT
KFYRTV.com
A decent summary from the Washington Post
Please list any additional information or resources you may have in the comments, and I'll add them to the diary when appropriate. I'll be posting daily diaries on this flood until the emergency is over.