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East Grand Forks Mayor Gander has declared a state of emergency due to flooding. The Greenway system is now closed because of the rising river levels. The Point Bridge will be closed to traffic starting this afternoon (Sunday). The on and off ramps and underpass area under Highway 2 are closed.
With the recent heavy rains and snowmelt the National Weather Service has increased the projected crest of the Red River to over 48 ft. by the middle of the week. As a result, the City of Grand Forks will be putting into action several flood fighting measures. Starting on Sunday, the Greenway will be closed. This includes both pedestrian bridges, Lincoln Dr. Park and Riverside Park. The Point Bridge will be closed on Sunday afternoon. The Sorlie Bridge on Demers Ave. will remain open as of now. Crews will be activating 8 of our flood pump stations. 48 ft. is still within our flood protection system and essential crews will be working through the weekend to get all of the flood protection measures in place.
The Demers Avenue closure will be installed on Sunday, April 24th on the East Grand Forks side of the river with the Sorlie Bridge remaining open to traffic at this time. Traffic coming over the Sorlie Bridge will be detoured around the closure.
The Grand Forks Sheriff’s Department says the Shady Ridge area and East Lake Drive will be losing driving access soon. Cole Creek is out of its banks.
The National Weather Service has posted a Flood Warning for a large portion of the region due to heavy rains. The NWS says since the start of the rain on Friday through 7:00 a.m. today (Sunday) Grand a Forks has received 3.06 inches of precipitation.
The GFSO reports several roads are experiencing overland flooding in Grand Forks County. The most severe impact has been along Cole Creek south of Grand Forks. There are reports that some homeowners are sandbagging to hold back the water.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP) have reopened ND 32 north of Finley due to flooding.
Motorists traveling on Highway 2 west of Bagley and Highway 92 north of Zerkel are advised to drive with caution. There is water over the road. Signage has been placed in the area. East Grand Forks officials reported several streets were are under water are closed off to thru traffic. Any residents that need to use these streets to get to their homes need to use caution when going through the flooded areas.
With the combination of heavy rain and snowmelt, the Grand Forks sanitary sewer is running at full capacity. City officials are asking residents to make sure sump pump hoses are running outside and to cut back on water usage a little bit to take the pressure off the system.
More rain / snow is in the forecast today and tonight.
