North Dakota Braces for 'Catastrophic' Flood

A quarter of Minot's population has left, and more may follow
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 23, 2011 1:59 PM CDT
Minot, North Dakota, Braces for 'Catastrophic' Flooding as Thousands Evacuate
Water fills the streets in the Oak Park neighborhood of Minot, N.D.   (AP Photo/Will Kincaid)

Minot, North Dakota, has a population of 41,000, and about 10,000 of them already have cleared out for higher ground as the Souris River rises. The water has begun creeping into neighborhoods, and more mandatory evacuations may follow, reports ABC News. The city also is home to Minuteman III nuclear missile silos, and at least two are in the flood's expected path. The river, swollen by rain and snowmelt, isn't expected to crest until Sunday or Monday, notes the AP.

"We could have a really catastrophic type of event here," says the mayor. "We will—there is no doubt about it anymore. I think people have to understand if you were on the edge before you may not be on the edge now." (More Minot, North Dakota stories.)

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