MINOT, N.D. — A National Guard spokesman says there are “definite signs” that Souris River floodwaters are slowing receding in the swamped North Dakota city of Minot.
Sgt. 1st Class David Dodds says in Minot it’s a waiting game for the water to recede behind levees. He says the focus of the flood fight itself is shifting to communities downstream such as Velva and Sawyer, where the situation is “much more precarious.” He says soldiers are working to bolster levees and watch for leaks in those towns.
The Souris River in north central North Dakota has been swelled by heavy spring snowmelt and rains. It crested in Minot on Sunday but not before swamping about 4,000 homes. The National Weather Service forecast called for the river to drop about half a foot Monday.