City officials in Minot, North Dakota say that they hope that no more homes will be damaged beyond the thousands that have already had water as a result of the flooding from the cresting of the Souris River, as it has crested at a level 2 feet lower than predicted.
Though it had been forecasted that the Souris River would peak at 8.5 feet above the stage of a major flood, it seems that the river has leveled off at nearly 6.5 feet over that stage.
The area has already experienced extensive damage from flooding. Curt Zimbelman, the mayor of Minot, said that there have been more than 4,000 homes that were flooded within the neighborhoods closest to the river that were designated an evacuation zone. In total, approximately 11,000 people were required to leave their homes.
North Dakota National Guard spokesperson, Sgt. 1st Class David Dodds said that the level of the flooding has “kind of stabilized” and that it didn’t appear that there would be any more widening to the Souris channel.
He added that “The fact that more homes aren’t being engulfed or being touched by the water, that’s the one silver lining if you can even say there is one.”
Spokesperson for the city Dean Lenertz added that the updates for the amount of dollar damage done as a result of the flood are now being tallied. The sewer, water, and electric power systems of the city all remain functional.
Though there were worries that there was more rain in the forecast, they received confirmation from the National Weather Service that the upcoming storms did not appear to be long-lasting or far reaching and would likely not worsen the situation.
