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Floods cause havoc in US Midwest Floods cause havoc in US Midwest
(about 5 hours later)
North Dakota has been declared a federal disaster area by US President Barack Obama because of record spring flooding across the mid-Western state.North Dakota has been declared a federal disaster area by US President Barack Obama because of record spring flooding across the mid-Western state.
Floodwaters from the Red River, which is expected to peak later this week, have closed roads and bridges.Floodwaters from the Red River, which is expected to peak later this week, have closed roads and bridges.
National guardsmen and volunteers are reinforcing flood defences.National guardsmen and volunteers are reinforcing flood defences.
The rising waters are also affecting the neighbouring state of Minnesota which, like North Dakota, borders the Red River on its route towards Canada.The rising waters are also affecting the neighbouring state of Minnesota which, like North Dakota, borders the Red River on its route towards Canada.
In the city of Fargo, North Dakota thousands of volunteers have been building sandbag barriers to strengthen flood defences. name="top"> class="bodl" href="#map"> See a map of the affected area
"I live in an apartment, and it doesn't look like it's going to flood over there so I figured, I have the time, the energy, why not come out and help some folks," said one resident, Noah Addy. A blizzard has brought snow and freezing rain to North Dakota and high winds have knocked out the electricity supply to some towns in the state.
A blizzard has brought snow and freezing rain to the area and high winds have knocked out the electricity supply to some towns in the state. Hundreds of miles of highways and roads have been blocked in North Dakota and the neighbouring states of Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska.
The snowfall has blocked hundreds of miles of highways and roads in North Dakota and the neighbouring states of Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Ice jams
Weather experts say the extreme flatness of the Red River Valley means the overflowing water tends to go wide, move slowly and take weeks to recede because the soil is increasingly saturated.Weather experts say the extreme flatness of the Red River Valley means the overflowing water tends to go wide, move slowly and take weeks to recede because the soil is increasingly saturated.
"You will have an extremely wide river," Pat Slattery of the National Weather Service told the AFP news agency. "You will have an extremely wide river," Pat Slattery of the National Weather Service told AFP news agency.
A waterway that now measures 100 yards wide "might turn into between a mile and a mile-and-a-half", the forecaster added.A waterway that now measures 100 yards wide "might turn into between a mile and a mile-and-a-half", the forecaster added.
The entire state of North Dakota is under a major flood warning Flood defences
The region last suffered a devastating flood in 1997, which left more than $2bn in damage and tens of thousands of people displaced after 570,000 hectares of land were swamped. Some flooded areas of North Dakota are without powerThe authorities in North Dakota have used explosives to destroy an ice jam on the Missouri River in an attempt to ease the build up of water.
An ice jam blocking the Missouri River burst on Wednesday, sending a further surge of water downstream towards North Dakota's capital Bismarck, where flooding has already led to some evacuations in low-lying areas. The flow of water had been blocked by car-sized blocks of ice joining the Missouri from the Heart River tributary, threatening low-lying areas of the state capital, Bismarck.
The Missouri flows south and east, eventually joining the Mississippi River. Bismarck Mayor John Warford said the authorities were "cautiously optimistic" that the demolition would have a positive effect.
"What you have now is water rushing from the ice jam that is to the north. We could see a rapid rise of one or two feet (30-60cm) in water levels," said National Weather Service meteorologist Joshua Scheck. Earlier reports said an ice jam north of Bismarck had burst but the National Weather Service later said the blockage was intact, though leaking.
National Guard pilots flew over the Missouri to investigate the possibility of dropping explosives on another ice jam south of Bismarck, about 200 miles (320km) west of Fargo. Mr Warford said the ice jam, 16km (10 miles) from Bismarck, was still a cause for concern.
"The fact that it could break at any time is bad news," AP quoted him as saying.
Volunteers have also been called out in the Bismarck area to help fill in sandbags to bolster the city's flood defences.Volunteers have also been called out in the Bismarck area to help fill in sandbags to bolster the city's flood defences.
Army engineers were preparing to release water from the Missouri River's Garrison Dam, north of Bismarck, once flooding in the capital had eased.Army engineers were preparing to release water from the Missouri River's Garrison Dam, north of Bismarck, once flooding in the capital had eased.
The region last suffered a devastating flood in 1997, which left more than $2bn in damage and tens of thousands of people displaced after 570,000 hectares of land were swamped.
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