Will the dikes hold up against the storm?

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A North Dakota National Guard Commander who served as chief engineer of the state's water commission is predicting a second crest for the Red River. Today, the Red is down to 39.01 feet at Fargo-Moorhead. That's just more than a foot below the 1997 highpoint and more than two feet below Saturday's record-setting crest of 40.82 feet.

The floodwaters seem to be receeding for now, but an incoming Spring storm could dump around six inches to more than a foot of snow into the Red River Valley by midweek. While the additional precipitation could add to the flood volume, more people are concerned by winds whipping up waves that could overcome the sandbag dikes.

To check in on the strength of the dikes around Fargo-Moorhead, All Things Considered called Ken Hellevang. He' s an NDSU Extension Service Agricultural Engineer and an expert on sandbag dikes.

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