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1997 Red River Valley Flood Collection, 1997-
Title: 1997 Red River Valley Flood Collection
ID: OGLMC 1351
Extent: 39.25 Linear Feet
Administrative/Biographical History
The winter of 1996-1997 was unusually harsh as eight blizzards struck the Grand Forks region of the Red River Valley. The last and one of the most severe, Blizzard Hannah, occurred April 4-6, 1997. When the snow began to melt and the Red River began to rise, the people of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks began flood preparations in earnest. However, the cities' preparations did not anticipate the extent of the flooding. Flood preparations were made to protect the cities from a 49-foot flood crest; the actual flood crested at 54.33 feet on Tuesday, April 22. On April 18, the Red River began to overrun temporary dikes along the river. Those areas in immediate danger were evacuated. As the river continued to rise without any hint of slowing, the entire cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks were evacuated on April 19. On that same day, a fire broke out in downtown Grand Forks that destroyed 11 buildings, including one entire block. During the evacuation, University of North Dakota and city of Grand Forks employees remained behind to continue to protect what they could from the still rising river crest and to perform those various administrative and governmental functions that needed to be done. On Thursday, April 24, government officials began to allow people back into the driest areas of town to visit their homes and begin the cleanup process. While the majority of the cleanup itself was finished by the end of the 1997 summer, reconstruction of destroyed basements, houses, and buildings has continued into 2000. In addition to these reconstruction efforts, the cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks have been developing flood abatement strategies, most notably a 54-foot dike system in Grand Forks and a Greenway along the Red River itself.
Subjects (links to similar collections)
Administrative Information
Acquired:
1997.
Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.
Acquisition Note:
The collection has received numerous donations from a variety of individual donors.
Related Publications: Please search the library catalog for a complete list
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). 1997 Red River Valley Flood Collection. OGLMC 1351, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
Finding Aid Revisions: Finding aid migrated to Archon in February 2016.
Scope and Contents:
The 1997 Red River Valley Flood Collection has been divided into ten series as follows:
Series 1: Personal Accounts
Series 2: Media Coverage
Series 3: Publications
Series 4: Governmental Organizations
Series 5: Photographs
Series 6: Audio-Visuals
Series 7: University of North Dakota
Series 8: Grand Forks Greenway
Series 9: Artifacts
Series 10: Miscellaneous
Detailed Description
Series 1: Personal Accounts
Series 2: Media Coverage
Series 3: Publications
Series 4: Governmental Organizations
Series 5: Photographs
Series 6: Audio-Visuals
Series 7: University of North Dakota
Series 8: Greater Grand Forks Greenway
Series 9: Artifacts
Series 10: Miscellaneous
Series 1: Personal Accounts
Series 2: Media Coverage
Series 3: Publications
Series 4: Governmental Organizations
Series 5: Photographs
Series 6: Audio-Visuals
Series 7: University of North Dakota
Series 8: Greater Grand Forks Greenway
Series 9: Artifacts
Series 10: Miscellaneous