Despite widespread flooding across much of the Midwest, North Dakota's flood season has been relatively mild.
Despite historic flooding across much of the Midwest, North Dakota's flood season has been relatively calm.
Climate and Average Weather Year Round in North Dakota
In contrast, Minnesota is facing severe flooding, with dozens of counties grappling with the effects of Mother Nature's wrath.
Waterville is enduring its worst flooding event on record. Sandbagging efforts are in full swing, and the National Guard has been mobilized to assist with emergency operations.
“As of today, we have 46 soldiers deployed to support the operations in Waterville, Minnesota,” said Adjutant General Sean Mankey of the Minnesota National Guard during a press conference on Monday, June 24.
"The structural integrity of the dam has been a concern for a long time," Governor Walz stated.
Additional challenges may be on the horizon.
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"Some rivers, particularly the larger ones like the Minnesota and Mississippi, are still rising and may not peak until later this week," noted Daniel Hawblitzel, a meteorologist with the Twin Cities National Weather Service.
In contrast, North Dakota has experienced a relatively calm flood season despite its history of active flood years.
In Fargo, Elm Street has been closed a few times, but it hasn't surpassed minor flood stage all season, and there have been no community-wide sandbagging efforts this year, unlike in the previous two years.
Why is our flood season so mild while neighboring states brace for a challenging week? It largely comes down to our winter conditions—or rather, the lack thereof.
"Heading into spring, our soils were dry," explained Blake Rafferty, a meteorologist with the Grand Forks National Weather Service. "We didn't have a significant snowpack to infiltrate the soil once it melted."
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While our neighboring states faced relentless rainfall with little time for the ground to absorb it, North Dakota also experienced a wet spring, but our rain events were more dispersed, allowing the soil to recover between storms.
"Unlike us, places like Sioux Falls experienced three or four rainfall events in just one week, each bringing an inch or more of rain," Rafferty said. "That’s when you really start to encounter problems."
