As river recedes, costs add up

The threat has passed, but the costs from the 2006 flood are just starting to add up in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Flood-fighting costs and damage estimates for the metro and two surrounding counties have already topped $1 million, city and county officials said Monday.

Fargo had tallied $400,778 in flood-related costs as of Monday, according to city Finance Director Kent Costin.

The preliminary estimate includes $148,643 in overtime for city workers, $198,272 to remove temporary levees, $24,600 to set up pumps, $21,106 in sandbagging costs and $8,157 in other costs. Overtime costs may increase after the next payroll period, Costin said.

In addition, the federal government paid two local contractors $317,433 to erect 6,300 linear feet of clay dikes at seven Fargo locations, said Tim Bertschi, area flood engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers. The corps also incurred about $40,000 in personnel costs.

Fargo Public Works Director Dennis Walaker estimated flood-related costs in Fargo will total about $750,000, or $100,000 less than the cost of fighting the 2001 flood.

Meanwhile, the Red River continues to recede quickly in Fargo.

After reaching 37.18 feet on April 5 - the third-highest crest in the past 100 years - the river had fallen to 19.52 feet by 2 p.m. Monday and will likely drop below the flood stage of 18 feet within the next day or two, said Lynn Kennedy, a technician with the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, N.D.

"It's falling like a rock," Walaker said. "I've never seen the river go up so fast. I've never seen the river go down so fast."

Crews finished hauling away the temporary clay dike on Second Street North by City Hall on Monday.

All streets closed due to flooding were expected to reopen, with the exception of Elm Street between 14th and 15th avenues north.

The North Broadway Bridge and 12th Avenue toll bridge both reopened Saturday. Jack Williams Stadium, Mickelson Field and Edgewood Golf Course were pumped dry, and El Zagal Golf Course is getting close, Walaker said.

"Now, it's just a matter of cleaning up," he said.

Preliminary estimates from Cass County show flood-related costs and damages of about $610,700, including $403,000 in road damage, Emergency Manager Dave Rogness said. The total doesn't include costs from townships, water boards and individual cities, he said.

Four county roads and 15 township roads remained closed Monday in Cass County, Rogness said.

Moorhead is tabulating flood-related costs and hopes to have an estimate by the end of the week, Assistant City Manager Mike Redlinger said.

The Red River has receded from the Third Street South underpass at Main Avenue, but it probably won't open until Wednesday to allow the road bed to dry, Moorhead Operations Director Chad Martin said.

Moorhead and Fargo will continue curbside sandbag pickup this week.

Clay County also is preparing a preliminary flood damage estimate for the state.

"I imagine we're still looking at half a million (dollars)," said Sheriff's Department Lt. Matt Siiro, the county's emergency manager.

Siiro said he will ask county commissioners today to pass a resolution to apply for a federal disaster declaration.

(Mike Nowatzki writes for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, a Forum Communications Co. newspaper)