SD Flooding

There are Flood Warnings for the Elm and James Rivers, as well as a Flood Advisory for the entire county for the snowmelt and recent rains. The James River looks to have a record crest of just over 19 feet on Friday.

The Mocassin is being watched very closely. It can handle another foot and half before any real problems arise. Foote Creek is also being watched very closely, but no problems yet.

Let's just hope we don't get a bunch of rain tonight.

Mocassin Creek is being watched all right, by me every day. It is now well over the bike trail behind Bethlehem Lutheran. I live just a few blocks from there. I agree, a big influx of moisture right now would be like throwing gasoline on a fire. The Aberdeen area will look like one big lake.

I heard that water was going over the spillway at Elm lake by a depth of at least six feet. Next thing I heard was that Westport is being evacuated. This all seemed to happen pretty fast. I work with a few people from Westport and one day ago they werent to worried about major flooding. Today they left work early to do some salvaging, I think a little earlier warning might have been appreciated.

Ok Kaptain. Whatever you say.  I just love armchair hydrologists. Its soooo easy to forecast this stuff,

They had a 24 hour warning (Civil Emergency Message) to get ready (notified yesterday about the record crest today). Seems pretty good to me. Not to mention a flood warning for the creek that's been out for a week.

sdwxman, Sorry I blew up. Fargo was shocked to only have a weeks notice so I thought more information might have been available around here sooner. I'm no hydrologist, but I will monitor local conditions as best I can for my own well being. I guess if I lived in Westport I would drive up to Elm lake every day and if I seen eight feet of water coming over the spillway I would start making flood preperations. 24 hours is not a lot of time to try and save a town. I could understand if we had a major precipatation event like we did in Aberdeen two years ago, thats hard to predict. When the runoff is headed your way from the north, it should be publicized as soon as possible. Just my two cents.

No problem Kaptain.

I understand the frustration.

I met some of those folks at Westport. I wish things were different. The main thing that made things difficult was the pulse of water coming down the Maple River from ND when they had the big rain and melt on Sunday.

We're not out of the woods yet. A blizzard on Monday, then we'll have to see what happens when this snow melts. Don't let your guard down.

Hay I remember a dike/levy that was built around Roncolli and tied in to the fairgrounds road, I dont remember how far it went to the south. I also can remember the park south of Jackson Street and 6th Ave being all under water, Dahme construction had a cat trying to build a dike around the center. however was not geting the job done as the water was halfways up on the dozer.

I also remember the road just south of Columbia underwater and the road north of columbia by the Sandlake dam under water as well. I think everybody did a fine job getting the word out. Nobody was injured and everything else can be replaced.

I also have just had the chance to drive I-94 east from I-29 to Bismark and there is alot of snow, fence post high and corn feilds that sill have standing corn that are holding alot of snow. Common sence tells me that will all turn into water when temps increase and water flows to down hill in the path of least resistance.

History is telling me it could be a long wet spring for alot folks.

Thanks weatherman keep up the good work!!

How is the weather in aberdeen it is snowing hard in mobridge right now.  You guys sure dont need this.  Hope it is a slow melt when it warms up.

Its starting to snow here now. 8-12 inches by Tuesday evening....

Foot of snow in Aberdeen. 40 mph winds blowing it around.

Expect another 3-6 inches today.