Red River Floods: Fargo and Moorhead

by Terry Shoptaugh

Overview

Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, have existed on opposite sides of the Red River of the North since 1871. Ever since, heavy moisture from melting snow has combined with spring rains to threaten both towns with a rapidly rising, twisting river. Minor flooding is almost an annual event, and on six occasions the two towns experienced major floods requiring evacuations of large numbers of residents. The history of these floods is covered in the photographs contained in this book, including many provided by residents, local flood-fighting crews, and state and federal agencies. These images tell the story of how the two communities deal with one of nature's most common dangers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467113175
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	02/09/2015
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,083,261
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Terry Shoptaugh recently retired from Minnesota State University Moorhead after 28 years spent supervising the University Archives and teaching history and humanities classes. His previous books include You Have Been Kind Enough to Assist Me, a study of America and the Holocaust, and They Were Ready, the story of North Dakota National Guard troops in World War II. His 2004 publication, Moorhead, is also part of Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 6

Introduction 7

1 Origins 9

2 The Great Deluge of 1897 15

3 Causes of Red River Floods 31

4 Wartime Flooding 43

5 Taking Preventive Measures 61

6 The 1997 Deluge 85

7 The Flood Fighters 105

8 Decisions 121