1997 Red River Valley Flood Collection, 1997-

1997 Red River Valley Flood Collection

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Collection Overview

Title: 1997 Red River Valley Flood Collection, 1997-

ID: OGLMC1351

Extent: 39.25 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 00/00/1997

Subjects: Grand Forks - Floods, Grand Forks County, North Dakota - Floods, Red River Valley Flood of 1997, University of North Dakota - 1997 Red River Valley Flood

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

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

Collection Historical Note

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.

Subject/Index Terms

Grand Forks - Floods
Grand Forks County, North Dakota - Floods
Red River Valley Flood of 1997
University of North Dakota - 1997 Red River Valley Flood

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Method: 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 Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in February 2016.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[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],
[All]

Series 7: University of North Dakota

This series relates specifically to the impact to and reaction of the University of North Dakota to the 1997 Flood. Additional information can be found in The return of Lake Agassiz: the University of North Dakota and the Flood of 1997, published by the University in 1998.

Box 4

Folder 24: UND Publications:

Item 1: "Report: UND Flood Recovery '97," UND Foundation, May 1997
Item 2: Letter to Chemical Engineering Alumni, June 5, 1997

Box 5

Folder 34: Lists of Interviewees from Kim Porter; October 1997 and Undated
Folder 35: List of Interview Subjects/Project Estimate; May 1997 and Undated
Folder 36: Individual Interview Questions; Undated (Summer 1997)
Folder 37: Interviews–President Kendall Baker and Toby Baker; Summer 1997; Also Undated Note Identifying Transcripts
Folder 38: Interviews–Lyle Beiswenger, Susie Belyea, Robert Boyd, Jerry Bulisco, and Cathy Buyarski; Summer 1997
Folder 39: Interviews–Paul Clark, Duane Czapiewski, W. Jeremy Davis, Bonnie Freeland, and Jack Glass; Summer 1997
Folder 40: Interviews–Gordon Henry, Al Hoffarth, Mark Hudson, and David Jensen; Summer 1997
Folder 41: Interviews–Dorette Kerian, Rich Lehn, and Patsy Nies; Summer 1997
Folder 42: Interview and Letter from Leon Osbourne; April and Summer 1998
Folder 43: Interviews–Judy Sargent, LeRoy Sondrol, and Marlene Strathe; Summer 1997

Box 6

Folder 1: Interviews–Mark Thompson, Jim Uhlir, Dale Vetter, Dave Vorland, Terry Webb, and Larry Zitzow; Summer 1997
Folder 2: Self-Styled Interview by Peter Johnson; Undated
Folder 3: 1996-1997 UND Directory; Fall 1996
Folder 4: UND After Action Report; September-October 1997 and Undated
Folder 5: "UND After Action Report" to ND Governor Ed Schafer; October 1997
Folder 6: UND Outreach Programs/Information Sessions; May-June 1997
Folder 7: UND Closings; Undated
Folder 8: Volunteers; April-September 1997
Folder 9: UND Transition Team Daily Schedule; April 1997
Folder 10: UND Aiding the Community; April 1997-June 1998 and Undated
Folder 11: UND Flood Timeline; Undated
Folder 12: UND Aerospace; March-April 1997 and Undated
Folder 13: Admissions and Records; May-Fall 1997 and Undated
Folder 14: Newspaper Clippings (Grand Forks Herald and Fargo Forum); March 1-8, 1997
Folder 15: Newspaper Clippings (Grand Forks Herald and Bismarck Tribune); March 9-15, 1997
Folder 16: Newspaper Clippings (Grand Forks Herald and Bismarck Tribune); March 16-22, 1997
Folder 25: News Releases; April 1-September 23, 1997 and March-April 1998
Folder 26: UND Lake Region Shelter News; April-May 1997
Folder 27: University Relations Publications; March 1997-April 1998
Folder 28: UND Publications and Newsletters; April-November 1997, March-June 1998, January 1999, and Undated
Folder 29: NDSU Flood Coverage; April-July 1997 and Undated
Folder 30: Local Flood Coverage; January 1997-February 1998 and Undated
Folder 31: State Flood Coverage; March 1997-August 1998 and Undated
Folder 32: National Flood Coverage; April 1997-July 1998
Folder 33: Documentation–Peter Johnson's Notes; April-June 1997 and Undated
Folder 34: Correspondence of Peter Johnson; April-July 1997 and Undated
Folder 35: Letters to Students; April-May 1997 and Undated
Folder 36: Book-Related Correspondence; May 1997-March 1998 and Undated
Folder 37: Correspondence of UND President Kendall Baker; April 1997-April 1998
Folder 38: UND President Kendall Baker–Statements, Reports, Notes for Speeches; April 1997-April 1998 and Undated
Folder 39: Correspondence–Miscellaneous; April 1998
Folder 40: Emails–Miscellaneous; March-October 1998 and Undated
Folder 41: Emails–Peter Johnson; March-April 3, 1997
Folder 42: Emails–Peter Johnson; April 4-17, 1997
Folder 43: Emails–Peter Johnson; April 19-September 9, 1997
Folder 44: Emails–Stacy Herron; April 8-29, 1997
Folder 45: Faxes; April 1997
Folder 46: Faxes; May 1997
Folder 47: Faxes; June 1997
Folder 48: Faxes; July 1997
Folder 49: Faxes; August 1997
Folder 50: Faxes; 1998
Folder 51: UND Flood Answer Sheets; April 1997
Folder 52: Flood Stage Readings from UND Web Pages; April-May 1997
Folder 53: UND Web Pages; April-May 1997 and Undated
Folder 54: Flood Relocation List Serve; Undated
Folder 55: Web Pages; May 1997 and February 1998
Folder 56: Flood Meeting Minutes–"Flood '97: The Return of Lake Agassiz"; April 20-October 22, 1997
Folder 57: John Bluemle Articles; 1977, 1986, and 1997
Folder 58: Advertising; 1997
Folder 59: WDAZ Flood Video; March 1998

Box 7

Folder 1: Damage Assessment; April-October 1999 and Undated
Folder 2: 9:00 a.m. Meetings; April-May 1997
Folder 3: Publication Editorial and Steering Company Meeting; June 1997 and Undated
Folder 4: Residence Hall Occupancy; September 1997
Folder 5: Evacuation; Undated
Folder 6: Updates/Reports; May-September 1997 and Undated
Folder 7: Phone Lists; 1997
Folder 8: UND–Rising from Flood and Fire: On-Site Crisis Management; April 1998
Folder 9: UND Interactive Town Hall Meeting; April 1997 and Undated
Folder 10: Governmental Leadership in a Natural Disaster; Undated
Folder 11: City of Grand Forks Flood Hazard Map; January 1995
Folder 12: 1998 Time of Observance–Flood Anniversary; April 1998 and Undated
Folder 13: Postal News; May 1997
Folder 14: Brainstorming Notes; Undated
Folder 15: Background Information Preliminary Notes; 1997-1999 and Undated
Folder 16: EERC Web Page Collection–CNN; April 1997
Folder 17: EERC Web Page Collection–Fargo Forum; April 1997
Folder 18: EERC Web Page Collection–Grand Forks Herald; April 1997
Folder 19: EERC Web Page Collection–MSNBC; April 1997
Folder 20: EERC Web Page Collection–Pioneer Press; April 1997
Folder 21: EERC Web Page Collection–Star Tribune; April 1997
Folder 22: EERC Web Page Collection–USA Today; April 1997
Folder 23: Red River Stages; 1997
Folder 24: QPK_GF.XLS; 1997
Folder 25: "Poem from the River"; April 1997
Folder 26: UND Flood Timeline (Including Disk); 1997
Folder 27: Accounts of the Flood; Undated
Folder 28: Lists of Quotes; Undated
Folder 29: Book Section Notes; Undated
Folder 30: Color Photo Instructions for Book; Undated
Folder 31: File List; October 1998
Folder 32: Adjustments, Corrections, and Additions; October 1998 and Undated
Folder 33: Miscellaneous Pages and Paragraphs; Undated
Folder 34: Flood Book Graphics; 1997
Folder 35: Flood Book Dedication Materials (Including Disk); July 1998 and Undated
Folder 36: Draft Papers; April 1997
Folder 37: Draft Papers; April 1997 and Undated
Folder 38: Draft Papers; April 1997 and Undated
Folder 39: Draft Papers; April-May 1997 and Undated
Folder 40: Original Draft Papers; April-November 1997 and Undated
Folder 41: Draft Paper Supplemental Material Personal Notes; April-September 1997 and Undated
Folder 42: Lake Agassiz Revisited (pp. 1-65) (Undated); Letter to Steve Foss, Grand Forks Herald (Undated)
Folder 43: Lake Agassiz Revisited (pp. 66-148); Undated
Folder 44: Corrected Book Draft; October 1998
Folder 45: Corrected Book Draft (pp. 1-90); October 1998
Folder 46: Corrected Book Draft; October 1998
Folder 47: Corrected Book Draft; October 1998
Folder 48: Corrected Book Draft; 1998
Folder 49: Corrected Book Draft (pp. 40-95); 1998
Folder 50: Corrected Book Draft (Selected Pages Only); Undated (Received November 24, 1998)
Folder 51: Corrected 2nd Book Draft; Undated
Folder 52: Book Cover; Undated
Folder 53: Dedication Pages/Final Draft of Observations; Undated
Folder 54: Thank You Card for Book; January 5, 1999
Folder 55: State After Action Reports; June-October 1997 and Undated
Folder 56: ND Governor Ed Schafer's State of the State Address; January 22, 1998
Folder 57: Missouri Department of Higher Education; Undated
Folder 58: Summer Performing Arts Co. Play–Keep the Faith; Summer 1997
Folder 59: UND Floodwatch and Statement from UND President; April 9-10, 1997
Folder 60: Correspondence and Notices; 1997-1998
Folder 61: Peter Johnson; Note (February 25, 1998); Flood-Related Memos Involving (April 4-17, 1997)
Folder 62: Notes of UND Administrative Group Meetings During Flood of 1997 (April 20-May 3, 1997); Note from Patsy Nies (March 26, 1998); Note from Toby Baker (Undated)
Folder 63: Notes of UND Administrative Group Meetings During Flood of 1997 (Copies); April 20-September 30, 1997
Folder 64: UND Transition Team Materials; April-May 1997
Folder 65: UND Chester Fritz Library; Books Lost in Flood; August 1, 1997
Folder 66: UND Chester Fritz Library; Letter from Linda Olson to Sandy Slater; ODIN Flood Periodical Bibliography; 1998
Folder 67: UND Director of Libraries; Project Recovery; 1997 (Note from December 2, 1997)
Folder 68: UND Plant Services Construction Brief; June 1998
Folder 69: UND Flood Grants and Fellowships; October 24, 1997

Box 12

Folder 12: Chester Fritz Library Flood Materials, 1997

Department of Special Collections
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