Red River Floods

- Floods in Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota and several other communities
- The Red River, which lies next to the cities Fargo and Moorhead, crested on March 28, causing major floodsStar-Tribune: Flood coming - sooner and higher than expected (March 23, 2009)
- Over 1.9 million sandbags were positioned to protect the citiesFox News: Officials Ask for Volunteers as Floods Threaten North Dakota, Minnesota (March 23, 2009)
- Several other creeks and streams are also overflowingStar-Tribune: Flood coming - sooner and higher than expected (March 23, 2009)
- Several communities in North Dakota were evacuatedEnvironment News Service: Ice Jam Detonated at North Dakota Capital, Residents Evacuate (March 26, 2009)
- The Red River previously crested in the area in 1997 at 39 feetUSA Today: Fargo officials want more volunteers to fill sandbags (March 22, 2009)
- The 1997 flood destroyed 87 percent of homes in the city Grand Forks, North DakotaUSA Today: Fargo officials want more volunteers to fill sandbags (March 22, 2009)
- President Obama has issued a federal disaster declaration for 34 counties and two Indian reservationsRTE: North Dakota braces for massive flood (March 26, 2009)
- The last days have brought both snow and rain to the areaRTE: North Dakota braces for massive flood (March 26, 2009)
- A snowstorm is expected later in the week, which is expected to cause the river to crest againwcco: Nat. Guard Commander Says River Will Crest Again (March 30, 2009)

In early Spring 2009, the Red River in Minnesota and North Dakota overflowed its banks, fed by deep snowfall and heavy rainfall. Fears of a record flood began to arise on March 22, 2009.The Ledger: Fargo Works to Hold Back Rapidly Rising River (March 26, 2009) RTE: North Dakota braces for massive flood (March 26, 2009)
The river crested at 40.61 on Saturday, March 28, 2009 and by 2:15 pm the next day, the river had dropped to 39.93 feet. Two deaths and fifty injuries have been confirmed to date.CNN: Red River declining; 2 dead in N.D. flooding (March 29, 2009) On March 30, 2009, the river continued to drop, but is expected to rise again due to melting ice and snow and an upcoming snowstorm.wcco: Nat. Guard Commander Says River Will Crest Again (March 30, 2009)
Preparation

Several high schools and the North Dakota University canceled classes so that students could help to fill sandbags. Volunteers worked for days to build a wall of sand to hold back the river, only to see the river rising higher than expected, causing more sandbags to be needed to protect the city. Two hundred soldiers from the The Minnesota National Guard and 250 soldiers from the The North Dakota National Guard will assist in the flood fight.Grand Forks Herald: Fargo students get out of class for sandbagging (March 23, 2009)The National Guard and the city will also use interlocking plastic containers which can be filled with sand for temporary dikes. The system was used during Hurricane Katrina.Grand Forks Herald: Fargo students get out of class for sandbagging (March 23, 2009)
Crest

The Red River broke a 112-year record early March 27, 2009, climbing past a height of 40.33 feet. Early Saturday morning, March 28, 2009, the weather service said the Red River may have crested at under 41 feet.Wall Street Journal: Frightened Fargo Watches as River Nears Top of Dike (March 28, 2009)