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Mayor Judd Declares Flood Emergency in Moorhead
Declaration provides opportunity to seek assistance from state and federal governments
MOORHEAD, MN: Mayor Johnathan Judd declared a state of emergency in Moorhead at 10 am today as Moorhead prepares for a 2019 spring flood. While we will learn more in the upcoming days and weeks, the National Weather Service predicts the Red River will flood this spring with a river crest occurring in early to mid-April. The severity of flooding depends upon numerous factors, such as the speed of the snowmelt and the level of additional precipitation we may receive.
As it stands, there is a 50% probability flooding could be in the range of 38 feet, and a lower probability that flooding could reach the level of 2009, which was 40.84 feet. City Engineer Dr. Bob Zimmerman notes that Moorhead’s flood preparations have been ongoing since 2009 and our completed flood mitigation projects were designed for these river levels. Since 2009:
- 263 flood-prone homes along the riverfront have been removed;
- 12.1 miles of flood walls and permanent levees have been built; and
- 78 storm sewer gates have been installed to prevent storm sewer backup.
While we hope for the best, the City of Moorhead is planning for a river level of 40-41 feet. Leading up to the river crest, the public will see road, bridge, and park closures and perhaps clay levees in some areas, but the need for temporary protection measures has decreased significantly because of the flood mitigation efforts undertaken since 2009. In 2009, Moorhead needed 9 miles of clay levees to protect our infrastructure. It is estimated the City would only need 1.6 miles of clay levees in 2019. Our staff’s emergency flood plan is honed and preparations are actively underway to ensure that our City’s infrastructure is protected and services are continued leading up to and during the flood event.
During Mayor Judd's briefing today, he noted 4 things the community should know about the upcoming flood:
1. Riverfront Neighborhood Zones: Moorhead has once again established “Flood Zones” for neighborhoods near the river. The number and boundaries of flood zones have changed from prior events since many flood prone homes have been removed since then. For this flood event, 4 zones have been established. Each Zone has a Zone Leader who will be the primary point of contact for property owners within the Zone who may need technical advice or assistance while protecting their properties.
2. Other Flood Communication: Get important messages directly at cityofmoorhead.com
a. Sign up for eNotification – Service Alerts is the category that will be used for flood messages
b. Sign up for Code Red
c. Check elevation – Flood Information button on homepage connects you with an up-to-date mapping tool showing what areas of a property are affected at specific river levels.
3. Volunteering and Sandbagging: Moorhead is fortunate in that so many people are willing to help one another. This is an area where our community really shines. Our volunteer operation process and sign up procedures will be announced Monday through our e-Notification Service Alerts and on social media and will begin midweek. Our amazing Moorhead student bodies have already expressed a willingness to help, as have many churches, organizations, and individuals.
The City has an initial goal of producing 150,000 sandbags necessary to protect public infrastructure and a number of private properties that have not been offered an opportunity for a buyout. The need for sandbagging is drastically less than in 2009 when 2.5 million bags were needed. This decrease is attributable to the significant progress made in removing the homes most vulnerable to flooding.
4. Oakport Neighborhood: The Oakport neighborhood was annexed to the City of Moorhead in 2015. Much of the Oakport neighborhood is protected by a flood control project completed by the Buffalo Red River Watershed District. The City of Moorhead is working on a flood protection project for the balance of the area, but that project is not yet complete. Oakport is our neighborhood now, and we want residents to know that our staff is working to support this Moorhead neighborhood. The City of Moorhead will provide sandbags to these property owners.
Mayor Judd closed by noting that Moorhead is well prepared for this flood fight and expressed appreciation for the experienced city staff that is already working to protect our City.
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Lisa Bode, Governmental Affairs Director, 218.299.5372