My hometown is flooding

The sandbags surrounding Prairie Rose School are trying to keep the flood waters out

Some non-bike related content here. I grew up in Bismarck North Dakota. The heavy snowpack in the mountains of Montana combined with much more than the normal amount of spring rain has raised the water levels in Lake Sakakwea to record heights.

Basic North Dakota Geography. This also doubles as a topographic map of the state.

For those of you who aren't caught up on your North Dakota history/geography, the Missouri river runs from eastern Montana through central North Dakota. It used to flood every year. That flooding created some of the most fertile farm land in the US. People decided they wanted to farm the land, a big dam was built on the Missouri river 70 miles north of Bismarck, creating Lake Sakakawea. The state is pretty flat, so when the river jumps its banks, not much is going to stop it.

The 5th largest earthen dam in the world at 2.1 miles long. This is looking at the powerhouse, the spillway is at the other end.

That big dam has never had to open the spillway flood gates in the 60 years its been around. For the first time ever, the water was putting so much pressure on the dam that the Army Corps of Engineers decided they had to relieve pressure on the dam. The spillway gates have opened allowing even more water into the already swollen Missouri river. That equation is why my hometown is flooding.

The 28 gates on the spillway. These will all be flowing through July.

My parents house is fine, but lots of friends are out sandbagging or helping other with the flood prevention efforts. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone back home who've lost their homes or are at risk of losing their homes. Good luck to all!

Building a temporary dam in Marina Bay to help save some of the homes from flooding.

It's a little late for this area of North Bismarck.

-KT