BISMARCK, N.D. – Officials from nearly a dozen state agencies, including the Governor’s Office, Department of Emergency Services and North Dakota National Guard, began planning efforts for spring flooding after a record wet fall that has produced high river flows and left soils saturated heading into freeze-up.
The meeting, Tuesday in Bismarck, set up a statewide plan for preparations, response, and recovery efforts if major flooding happens.
Governor Doug Burgum said the flood preparations started earlier than normal because of unprecedented wet conditions that he says pose a “serious threat” to people and property next spring.
The head of the North Dakota National Guard, Major General Alan Dohrmann, said with two snowstorms already this season and a long winter ahead, with conditions “ripe for spring runoff,” it’s important to bring agencies together early and start planning.
Allen Schlag, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Bismarck said the wet conditions over the past several months are “greater than once-in-generation.”
After drought conditions affected much of the state as recently as June, the three-month period of August, September and October were the wettest on record in 125 years in North Dakota, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
The National Weather Service will release its spring flood outlooks for North Dakota on Feb. 13, Feb. 27 and March 12.