Red River crests on North Dakota-Minnesota border

[Keith Bee]

Source: CNN.com

(CNN) -- The swollen Red River that forms the border between Minnesota and North Dakota crested near 40 feet in Fargo, North Dakota, a spokesman for the City of Fargo Fire Department said Sunday. The river is expected to remain swollen for the next few days, said Jesse Schmidt.

Rain forecast for Sunday had raised flooding fears along the Red River, where recreational boating was barred in several counties. But the worst of the predictions seems not to have materialized.

The area could get up to half an inch of rain Sunday, Schmidt said.

The region usually has seasonal flooding after warm weather and rain melts snow in early spring.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/10/midwest.flooding/index.html?hpt=T2

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This is a straight-up news story: How it's gonna fit into General Discussion I've NO idea!

[RickFromMN]

1. It's hard to fit this story in the general discussion, but let me try the following angle.

I live in Moorhead, MN, across the river from Fargo, ND.

I would argue North Dakota is very Conservative.
I would argue Northern Minnesota is also Conservative.

I would argue people around here believe one should take responsibility and stand on one's own feet.
I would argue people around here believe in tough love. I would argue people around here are Religious.

If this is how people feel, and I'm not saying everyone feels this way, is it a stretch for me to ask,
why should people who talk about responsibility and standing on one's own feet, seek government aid?

We get farm subsidies. Not being a farmer, I have no idea the amount of the subsidies.

We get assistance for these floods. The National Guard is available. FEMA is available.
It's true a flood is an act of God, but we get flooded practically every other year.
Shouldn't the government eventually get tired of helping us out and tell us to move?

We built our homes in this ancient glacial lake bed...Lake Agassiz. It is our choice to live here.

It's not just the water in the River we have to worry about. We have a lot of overland flooding.

The Red River, or should I say, the Red River of the North, to distinguish it from the Red River in Texas,
flows north into Canada.

You want to see an area that is flat, come visit us!

I was born in this Valley. I'm too old or too stubborn or too stupid to move out.

A wiki has a description of the Red River Valley:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_of_the_North

[Kolesar]

2. The land at the outflow is still rebounding after the melting of the glaciers

The gradient of the river is actually decreasing, and the valley is trying to turn back into a lake. This rebound of the crust is so significant that it causes the shoreline of Lake Winnepeg to move.

[Odin2005]

3. This is the 3rd major flood here in a row. I'm getting sick of it!

[provis99]

4. Winnipeg, you are fucked.

They called the 1997 flood the "Flood of the Century", yet 14 years later here comes another "flood of the century".