March 6, 1998 - The flood of 1997 set records all along the Red River of the North. The river rose to levels no one alive has ever seen. The high water caused billions of dollars in damage, but it also gave flood fighters some valuable insights that may help their communities and communities across the country fight future floods. In the final part of our series on the flood of '97, Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson examines what lessons were learned.
March 4, 1998 - The devastating flood and fire that struck Grand Forks and East Grand Forks nearly a year ago forever changed the physical face of the communities. The less immediately noticeable changes are perhaps more profound...the disaster stretched and tore the social fabric of the community. In part three of our series on the flood of 1997 Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson examines how people were changed by disaster.
March 2, 1998 - Last spring the flood-swollen Red, Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers carved a trail of destruction across the upper Midwest. Through a combination of backbreaking sandbagging and a healthy dose of luck some communities such as Fargo Moorhead, Mankato, and St Paul held off the floodwaters. Other towns lost the battle... Ada and Breckenridge were swamped twice...and hundreds of people were evacuated. But when the Red River rolled over the dikes into Grand Forks and East Grand Forks on April 18th the eyes of the nation were drawn to the unfolding tragedy. Nearly 60- thousand people were forced to leave...the largest single evacuation in U-S history. Then fire broke out in the flooded downtown and people watched in horror while a dozen buildings burned as firefighters looked on helplessly. In the first of a five part series on the Flood on 1997 Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson looks back at that catastrophic weekend.
February 12, 1998 - Later this month the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a Minnesota case that will affect local governments and indian tribes nationwide. At issue is whether land owned by tribes can be taxed. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
September 19, 1997 - A new non profit organization has been formed to promote conservation on Minnesota’s rivers and streams. The Rivers Council of Minnesota meets this weekend at the Moorhead State University Regional Science Center to plot strategy. The goals of the organization include more water quality monitoring, and a stronger voice for rivers in environmental policy discussions. Minnesota Public Radio’s Dan Gunderson reports.
May 9, 1997 - THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS IN GRAND FORKS NORTH DAKOTA AND EAST GRAND FORKS MINNESOTA ARE BUSY CLEANING CLEANING MUD AND SOGGY BELONGING FROM THEIR HOMES. HUGE PILES OF DEBRIS LINE MOST RESIDENTIAL STREETS. BUT IN NEIGHBORHOODS CLOSE TO THE RED RIVER THERE ARE NO TRASH PILES..AND LITTLE ACTIVITY. THESE MOST DEVASTATED AREAS WILL LIKELY BE DESTROYED TO MAKE ROOM FOR A NEW SYSTEM OF LEVEES. RESIDENTS OF EAST GRAND FORKS WILL GET THE BAD NEWS AT A TOWN MEETING TODAY (FRI- 4PM) MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIOS DAN GUNDERSON REPORTS..
April 21, 1997 - MPR’s Dan Gunderson reports on the major impact Red River flooding has had on Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Red River will crest today in Grand Forks at 54 feet - more than double its normal depth. The flood has forced the evacuation of Grand Forks and the city across the river, East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Over the weekend, there was also a big fire in Grand Forks. Fire trucks couldn't get to it, so helicopters dumped buckets of floodwater on the fire.
April 20, 1997 - North Dakota Governor Ed Shafer has been touring flood ravaged areas of the Red River Valley. He told Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson the evacuations are going remarkably well.
April 18, 1997 - Red River reached its peak today, expected remain at 39.5 feet throughout the weekend. The massive dikes in the community are holding but city officials are concerned that they can withstand the river much longer. Dan Gunderson reports several community building have disappeared under the water 15 or 16 feet of water.
April 14, 1997 - AS THE RED RIVER CONTINUES TO ROLL NORTH..THE PEOPLE OF BRECKENRIDGE, MINNESOTA HOPE THE WORST IS BEHIND THEM. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THE RED RIVER WILL LIKELY HAVE A SECOND..SLIGHTLY LOWER CREST IN BRECKENRIDGE SOMETIME THIS WEEK. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S DAN GUNDERSON SPENT SUNDAY IN BRECKENRIDGE..AND FOUND PEOPLE CLEANING UP THE MUD AND ICE..AND STRUGGLING WITH THE FLOOD OF EMOTIONS THE DISASTER LEFT BEHIND. THE BRECKENRIDGE MAYOR CANCELLED THE DAILY MORNING FLOOD STRATEGY MEETING SO PEOPLE COULD GO TO CHURCH.. SFX SINGING..