Apr 18, 1997
The Red River reached a new record level in Grand Forks, just over 54 feet, on April 21st/22nd, shattering the previous record by over 5 feet. Problems with the river gauge led to difficulties in obtaining stages. One flow measurement, taken close to the crest, indicated 145,000 cfs in the Red River. The city dikes failed on the 18th and 19th, forcing the 50,000 residents to evacuate their homes. Roughly 70 percent of the city of Grand Forks was flooded, with some homes completely submerged.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5591885). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Grand Forks County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.