Rising flood waters from the Red River have forced over 13,000 families in and around Fargo, ND, to evacuate.

FARGO, North Dakota - As state officials predicted the worst flooding in state history and volunteers struggled to raise sandbag barriers along the bank of the Red River, OBI’s U.S. disaster relief team staged its first wave of relief efforts.

OBI’s mobile kitchen unit will be among the first of the fleet of equipment to arrive, which can feed up to 1,500 meals per day to first responders including the National Guard and emergency management officials.

Construction/clean-up trailers packed with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for volunteer clean-up crews, tools, a skid-steer, shower trailer, and other supplies will deploy early next week.

Over 13,000 families in Fargo and surrounding towns have already been evacuated, and thousands more face evacuation in the next 48 hours.  The Red River is now predicted to reach up to 42 feet, topping the highest flooding on record and higher than the devastating floods of 1997, when the river ran 50 miles wide. 

State officials are on alert for a breach in the levees or sandbags, which could force the complete evacuation of Fargo, North Dakota’s most populous city with 90,000 residents.

In anticipation of the thousands of homes that may be flooded, OBI staff are taking steps to plan recovery efforts, including assembling volunteer teams to help victims remove debris and clean out flood-damaged homes.

“We have alerted our volunteer base, and are asking for people who would like to help to contact us as soon as possible so when the conditions are safe, we have the volunteer teams ready to go,” says Jody Herrington, Director of U.S. Disaster Relief.

OBI’s U.S. disaster relief team is staging its first wave of relief efforts and assembling volunteer teams to help flood victims remove debris and clean out mud from flooded homes.

To volunteer, click here or contact OBI’s Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@ob.org or call 757.226.3407.

Coordinating with local volunteer agencies and emergency management officials, OBI's U.S. Disaster Relief Project Specialist Chris Williams says this is a dangerous situation that is becoming even worse due to below-20 degree temperatures.

“I had seen flooding before, but overland flooding becoming frozen was a new concept for me” he says.

Frozen flood waters are creating ice jams, which emergency management personnel have been trying to break up with dynamite. 

With the river already expected to remain above 40 feet for at least a week, officials fear the icy barriers will stop the waters from receding and further delay recovery efforts.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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