Moorhead council considers $500K for flood prep
Moorhead City Council members are considering spending up to $500,000 from the city's reserves to prepare for spring flooding in the Red River Valley.
The Forum of Fargo reports that the council will decide on the matter on Monday after getting an update on Saturday about the potential costs of fighting a major flood.
City Manager Michael Redlinger told them the cost of a filled sandbag can range from $2 to $3, so it costs about $12,000 to protect a single home.
The National Weather Service's latest flood outlook says there's a 50 percent chance the Red River will reach 37.4 feet in the Fargo-Moorhead area, or nearly six inches higher than last year's crest.
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Redlinger says if the river reaches 38 feet, 278,900 sandbags would be needed to protect 51 Moorhead properties.
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Information from: The Forum
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
