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More Levees Doomed: Fargo Mayor

By the Associated Press

Posted Mar 29, 2009 2:45 PM CDT

(AP) – The bloated Red River briefly breached a dike early today, pouring water into a school campus in Fargo, ND. The mayor called it a "wakeup call" for a city that needs to be vigilant for weaknesses in levees that could give way at any time. "The campus is basically devastated. They fought the good fight," Mayor Dennis Walaker said. "Those things will continue to happen. I guarantee it."

Crews managed to largely contain the flooding to the campus of Oak Grove Lutheran School, preventing more widespread damage in nearby areas. To prevent additional dike breaches, officials planned to begin dropping one-ton sandbags from helicopters today to deflect the violent current of the Red River and keep it from eroding vulnerable sections of the levees.

[Images (5)]

[Quotes (2)]

A parishioner folds his hands in prayer for victims of the Red River flooding during a city wide worship service at the Ramada Plaza & Suites, Sunday, March 29, 2009, in Fargo. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

A National Guard helicopter lowers a large sandbag behind the flooded Oak Grove Lutheran school as people in the courtyard work to stem flooding Sunday, March 29, 2009, in Fargo, ND. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

This aerial photo shows flooding along Cossette Drive, foreground, and University Drive, running diagonally right, in Fargo on Saturday, March 28, 2009. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Brian Peterson)

Fargo mayor Dennis Walaker laughs during a brief moment of levity at a public briefing about flooding there Saturday, March 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Workers scramble to pull an outlet hose for a pump over a dike as a helicopter behind lowers a giant sandbag in an attempt to patch a leak at the flooded Oak Grove Lutheran school in Fargo. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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The main event is right now, while we have this higher water. And it ain't over 'til it's over. And it ain't gonna be over until several days from now. - US Rep. Earl Pomeroy

I don't think there's an inch of riverfront on the Fargo side that doesn't have some kind of levee. We encourage neighborhoods to get together and have their own dike patrols and assist us. - city engineer Mark Bittner

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