North Dakota National GuardFact Sheet - Flooding Operations 2009
As of 8 a.m. April 1, 2009
In response to the flooding threats posed all around North Dakota, the North Dakota National Guard has instituted 24-hour flood operations at the Guard headquarters in Bismarck and established a Joint Task Force - East (JTF-E) at Armed Forces Reserve Center in Fargo (3920 31st St. N.W.). The task force's purpose is to command, coordinate and manage local Guard flood-fighting support. The task force is manned by both Army and Air National Guardsmen and is commanded by Col. James Hrdlicka of Bismarck.
Your North Dakota National Guard is partnering with our communities in response to flooding all across our state. We are battling on three fronts: the Red River Valley in the east, the Missouri River in the west and a diversified effort in many communities where we live and work. We are completely committed to this fight; we have been asked to help and we have responded in a swift manner. Working together is what North Dakotans do best and it is making a difference.
The Military Service Center in Bismarck, with direct connections to Family Assistance Centers around the state, has been supporting military members and their families effected by the flood both where they live and if they are on duty to help others. Food service was established around-the-clock at the Fargo Armed Forces Reserve Center and 119th Wing of the North Dakota Air National Guard to feed Guardsmen. A toll-free hotline is available 24/7 to assist, but it has not fielded any calls from military families in need. Fargo-area Guard families who have evacuated due to the flood have all been contacted to see if there are needs, and the Military Service Center and its affiliates will continue to ensure they are taken care of. Families of those with Guardsmen deployed also have been contacted to ensure they are doing fine in their Soldiers' absence. Numerous businesses have generously provided food and beverages to support Guard members working around the clock in North Dakota to fight the flood.
BY THE NUMBERS
We are in the fight to win against the raging flood waters that threaten our communities and state with about 2,400 military members serving across the state. About 2,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are actively combating flood conditions in the Red River Valley, with another 400 Guardsmen engaged across the state. Nearly 400 of those 2,400 Guardsmen are supporting the North Dakota National Guard through the Emergency Management Assistance Contract. South Dakota has provided the majority of those, and others coming from Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana, Missouri and Minnesota. Although the situation in the Red River Valley has momentarily stabilized, Guardsmen are on duty 24/7 and continue to be vigilant with dike patrols, quick response teams, security patrols, providing traffic control points, aviation support and other missions as required.
BY LOCATION
Bismarck and Mandan, N.D.
March 21-present: Guard Headquarters working 24-hour operations to command, coordinate and manage local flood-fighting efforts
March 24: Fifty Guardsmen reported this morning to support Bismarck/Mandan with a sandbagging mission. More coming on as of this writing.
March 25: The N.D. National Guard 816th (Dickinson) and 818th (Williston) Engineering Companies are slated to arrive in Bismarck today to help with flood operations. Numbers are unavailable at this time. Roads closed in Dickinson are impeding their response.
Burleigh County Flood Emergency Management has announced that any area south of the Bismarck Expressway and West of South Washington Street as well as any area south of Burleigh Avenue from the Missouri River to Apple Creek needs to prepare for potential flooding. Residents of that area have been given a mandatory evacuation order as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The Missouri River continues to rise due to an ice jam. At some point, Apple Creek will also need to purge; however, Lake Oahe remains iced over and the water will flow north.
Sandbags are now available for free at the bailer building at the City of Bismarck Landfill, 2111 N. 52nd St., starting at 10 a.m. and will be available until further notice. Sandbags are also available at the Burleigh County Highway Department, 2000 N. 52nd St., which is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional sandbag locations will be available later today. More information and updates will follow.
Bismarck Prison inmates are filling sandbags at the prison. Staging area for sandbags is 1417 South Washington St., Bismarck. The National Guard transported the sandbags form the prison site to the Church of Prayer on South Washington on Tuesday.
The 1-112th Aviation Battalion based out of Bismarck was involuntary mobilized for a period of seven days in the Central and Western parts of North Dakota to support flood operations.
The Burleigh County Emergency Management has requested eight N.D National Guard members with two vehicles to support the Burleigh County Sherriff's Department in monitoring the ice jam. Two four-person teams will work in separate locations around the clock, with the expected duration of 24-36 hours.
City of Bismarck Emergency Management requested five 200 cubic feet per second pumps to be delivered to South Washington St., Bismarck in order to fight flooding occurring in south Bismarck.
The North Dakota National Guard was asked to provide three high-wheel vehicles with operators to support evacuations being conducted by the Bismarck Police Department.
- The second blast took place at 11:15 p.m. on the ice jam near Fox Island, south of Bismarck Mandan. After a peak of 16.1 feet on the 24th, the river level dropped two feet by end of the day, partly due to better river flow through the Fox Island area.
- Guardsmen supported the Bismarck Police Department in evacuation support along San Angela Avenue, Santa Barbara Avenue and Cottonwood Apartments.
March 26: A third ice jam blast is planned for this afternoon, and assets are being flown in from Montana and Minnesota to complete the mission. The C-21 coming from Helena, Mont., should arrive around 12:30 p.m.
March 27-present: Nearly 400 Guardsmen continue to be prepared to provide support for snow and flood operations across the rest of the state.
Carson and New Leipzig, N.D.
March 22: One UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with 2 pilots and 2 crew chiefs rescued a family in each location around 6 p.m. on March 22. The mission was executed due to rising river water that surrounded the farmsteads and threatened the families' lives. They were unable to evacuate by ground transportation.
Devils Lake, N.D.
March 25: Camp Grafton Training Center loaded explosives and sent them toward Bismarck/Mandan at 9:22 a.m. They were used later in the day to break up ice jams on the Missouri River.
Enderlin, N.D.
March 25: Ransom County Emergency Management has requested 50 to 60 N.D. National Guard members to assist in sandbagging operations due to an ice jam. The City of Enderlin is flooding on the north side of town.
March 26: North Dakota National Guardsmen continue to emplace sandbags in Enderlin.
Fargo, N.D.
March 21-22: About 200 Soldiers and Airmen have been working in shifts at "Sandbag Central" in Fargo. The city is working to fill about 2 million sandbags before the river's predicted crest later this week.
March 23: Additional Guardsmen are inprocessing and coming on duty to assist.
- The Air National Guard moved its sandbagging machine to the Fargodome to assist volunteers in filling more sandbags.
- Guardsmen brought 12 dump trucks and two dozers to help construct a clay dike on the Fargo side of the Red River.
March 24:
- More than 600 Guard members are now assisting in Fargo's flood-fighting efforts, which include filling and positioning sandbags around the community, assisting with traffic control, and operating trucks and excavation equipment for dike work.
- Guardsmen are operating equipment at the Fargodome and assisting at Sandbag Central, 2301 8th Ave. N., Fargo.
- Two dozen Soldiers and Airmen are ready to assist the North Dakota Highway Patrol with traffic control points at eight locations on I-29 that may flood. This mission has not begun, but the Guardsmen are ready to support when called.
- HESCO barriers "" large collapsible containers used primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect troops from shrapnel and explosions "" are being deployed along the west boulevard near El Zagel Golf Course, as well as along the east boulevard of 5th Street near Lindenwood Park. Soldiers from the 817th Engineer Company of the North Dakota Army National Guard are setting up the barriers and then filling them with sand hauled from Sabin, Minn.
- Soldiers from the 815th Engineer Company of the North Dakota Army National Guard are constructing a 42-foot earthen dike near Edgewood Golf Course between North Broadway and the Red River, along the private road south of Edgewood Golf Course and Trollwood Performing Arts Center.
- By evening, North Dakota Guardsmen had constructed 4,400 square feet of earthen dike and placed 10,000 feet of HESCO barriers (and contractors assisted and placed more). They have helped to fill 1.8 million sandbags and place 1.5 million.
March 26: Guardsmen continue to help with filling and placing sandbags, constructing clay dikes, placing HESCO barriers and providing security forces to assist with controlling traffic. They're expanding to cover the Drainage 27 area in south Fargo today, as well.
- A team of 29 Soldiers and Airmen worked with local officials in the first mandatory evacuation in Fargo, which was approved at an 8 p.m. City Council meeting. Capt. Tammy King led the Guard team's effort to help residents from 35 to 40 homes in River Vili subdivision as well as Riverview Place senior living center.
March 27:
- Two additional buses have been moved to Fargo from Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake, N.D., to support operations here.
- Ten 2,500-gallon HEMMT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck) fuel trucks with operators are establishing fuel points in order to support potential emergency evacuations in Fargo. Three of the fuel trucks are filled with MOGAS and will be located at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds (1805 W. Main Ave., West Fargo). The additional seven fuel trucks will carry diesel fuel and be positioned in a bus-staging area in Casselton.
- Twelve North Dakota National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will supplement the fuel truck operators at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds by providing security operations in support of the Fargo Highway Patrol, which will brief the Guardsmen at 8 a.m.
- Sixteen additional Guardsmen will be briefed by the Highway Patrol and begin conducting security and traffic control operations in Fargo.
- Aviation assets are coming in from South Dakota and Minnesota, and an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter with a thermal imaging system is available in Fargo.
- The 136th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is providing 10 additional pumps (two 600 GPM pumps, two 350 GPM pumps and six 125 GPM pumps) and operators to Joint Task Force - East this morning.
- A dining facility to support 2,000 personnel with 24/7 operations was established at the 119th Wing, North Dakota Air National Guard. Twelve Airmen, two reefer vans and 24 cooks were provided to support the dining facility as a way to ensure Guardsmen are getting two hot meals a day while working long shifts outdoors.
- Twenty-one additional 125 gallons-per-minute pumps were provided to the Joint Task Force-East and are being used throughout Fargo.
- 150 soldiers from the 136 Combat Sustainment Support Battalion were mobilized to Fargo.
March 28:
- As of 11 a.m., 1,369 Guardsmen were on duty in Fargo. By the end of today, that total number is expected to exceed 1,900.
- National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from other states have been filtering in during the past two days as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Contract to join in the flood fight, including 326 currently on the ground in Fargo from the South Dakota National Guard.
- Rapid Response Teams of engineers are prepared to move in and repair any dike problems from 11 staging areas throughout Fargo. Two of those staging areas are "heavy" "" with extra engineer equipment, and a third location has an evacuation team available on site.
- It has been relatively quiet for the past 14 hours! No breaches have been reported, and the teams have been holding fast should they be needed.
- Two-person teams of Guardsmen are walking every length of dike in Fargo around the clock to watch for problems.
- Other Guardsmen in Fargo are dispersed throughout town. For instance, 21 are at the City Shop helping to fuel and maintain pumps, others are manning pumps at locations such as Oak Creek and some are supporting the North Dakota Highway Patrol with 13 traffic control points around town.
- Air assets are prepared to insert 1-cubic-yard bags of sand should there be a dike breach. 150 bags have been prepositioned at three different locations, and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crews are currently conducting rehearsals with hoist baskets.
- Teams have gone in to evaluate the Sheyenne River ice jams and have considered using demolitions to break up those ice jams. That mission currently is on hold until air temperatures increase enough to ensure the ice won't refreeze quickly.
March 29:
- Four Quick Reaction Force teams responded to the breach at Oak Grove School, bringing 60 Guardsmen and engineer resources to repair the breach and prevent as much damage as possible.
- As of 10 a.m., 1,380 Guardsmen were on duty in Fargo. The North Dakota National Guard has 1,571 Airmen and Soldiers committed to fighting the flood in North Dakota. There are 1,937 total Soldiers/Airmen from all states supporting North Dakota flood operations.
- The 957th Engineering Company from the 68th Troop Command stood ready to provide equipment and personnel to the Joint Task Force - East in support of flood operations within 2 hours of notification if the task force requires additional forces. They responded to a mission in the neighborhood of Oak Grove School Sunday evening, using a Zodiac boat to fortify dikes in the area.
- UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a team of Guardsmen sling-loaded and dumped salt on the Sheyenne River to help lessen the amount of ice on the river. Teams had evaluated using demolitions to break up the ice, but that will not take place.
- The Joint Task Force - East received 17 additional personnel from the 219th Security Forces Squadron.
- The 136 Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is providing four additional people and three 350-gallons-per-second pumps from the Area of Operations - West in Bismarck to support flood operations in Fargo. AO-W also provided three dozers.
- Two Guardsmen began providing shelter security at West Fargo Cheney Middle School.
- Guardsmen returned to the FargoDome to help sandbag again, and a crew of eight worked to haul sandbags from the Dome to a staging area at the North Dakota Air National Guard base.
- The National Guard also assisted in picking up and delivering 40 cots to support "Slumber Operations" for senior citizen displacement.
- The first mission for the 1-ton sandbags that are placed from cables on helicopters occurred near Oak Grove School. A North Dakota Army National Guard Black Hawk and crew placed 11 of the giant bags to strengthen the dike. Video and photos of the mission are available on our FTP site.
- Guardsmen are prepared to place plastic and about 600 sandbags in order to shore up the dike in the area of Main Avenue and 2nd Street South.
March 30: A boat crew from the North Dakota Army National Guard's 957th Multi-role Bridge Company is again operating in the neighborhood of Oak Grove School to fortify the dikes.
- Two-person teams continue to patrol Fargo's dikes 24/7 to monitor dike integrity. They are especially vigilant due to the changing forecast that will bring strong winds from the northeast.
- In conjunction with dike patrols, the QRF is another way the citizen-Soldiers and citizen-Airmen continue their dedication and vigilance to their fellow neighbors. They remain ready to respond to leaks and breaches with strategically placed forces and equipment. They also are available to assist local law enforcement with evacuation missions, if needed.
- Guardsmen are conducting security patrols in several Fargo neighborhoods. We need to emphasize that seeing a uniformed Soldier or Airman in your neighborhood does not mean they are there to evacuate. They are making sure things are fine, secure and safe. Evacuation messages will not come from the North Dakota National Guard.
- Guardsmen also continue to man traffic control points throughout Fargo in support of the Fargo Police Department. Soldiers and Airmen are stationed in more than a dozen locations near dikes and heavy-equipment traffic areas.
- Pumping operations in and around Fargo continue.
March 31: Guardsmen continue to monitor the integrity of the dike system, operate and maintain pumps and heavy equipment, and remain on standby at 11 locations to respond to the first signs of a leak or breach in any levee. Morale remains high!
- The Fargo Police Department is receiving support from the National Guard, riding along in Humvees to patrol during the current blizzard.
April 1: As the waters recede from making contact with some of the dikes in Fargo, presence patrols on those dikes have started to scale back. Presently, 19 presence patrols are being conducted along the dikes.
- There also has been a decreased need for traffic control points, with only five operational this morning.
FARGO BY THE NUMBERS: As of April 1, the following accomplishments have been made by Soldiers and Airmen in the North Dakota National Guard in cooperation with their counterparts from South Dakota and citizens and organizations across the city.
- 3.5 million sandbags filled
- 6 miles of HESCO barriers emplaced and filled to block floodwaters
- 3 miles of earthen dikes constructed
- 10,920 miles covered during dike patrols
- 462 traffic control points executed
- 10,152,000 gallons of water pumped
Grand Forks, N.D. ""
March 31: The Guard will be sending eight Guardsmen with Humvees to monitor sandbag dikes and pumps in and around the Burke addition.
Personnel also are preparing equipment and making plans to support rural areas and communities between Fargo and Grand Forks, county sub-developments outside of Grand Forks, and the cities of Drayton, Pembina and Neche with flood operations, such as temporary dike construction, sandbagging, pump support and monitoring, generator support, traffic control points, quick reaction forces and dike patrols.
April 1: Orders were published early this morning to direct assets and personnel that may be needed to move into Grand Forks, as well as north into Drayton, Pembina and Neche.
Hillsboro, N.D. ""
March 25-26: Guardsmen are helping to sandbag.
Horace, N.D. ""
March 23: Guardsmen moved a generator light pole system to Horace on Monday evening
Jamestown, N.D. ""
March 25: The North Dakota National Guard sent two 600 GPM pumps with 600 feet of hose each to Jamestown.
Linton, N.D. ""
Linton updates provided by Sgt. Ann Knudson, North Dakota Army National Guard
March 22-23: About 20 Soldiers left for Linton, N.D., the evening of Sunday, March 22 to assist with flood operations, to include rescuing stranded homeowners from the floodwaters, filling sandbags and manning traffic control points to assist local law enforcement officials. This mission is expected to last 24 hours or less.
March 23: Eighteen Soldiers of the North Dakota National Guard evacuated 20 residents of Linton, many from the "˜Old Town' area, and moved them to higher ground, using Light Medium Tactical Vehicles (LMTVs) to get through the water. About 75 residences are flooded, but most residents left earlier and did not need rescue. The evacuations are now considered complete, though a few residents have refused to leave and are staying in their homes. Soldiers also assisted MDU workers in getting gas shut off in flooded homes, filled sandbags, and manned traffic control points.
Gov. John Hoeven and Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, visited Linton this afternoon. Upon hearing that volunteer sandbaggers were getting worn out, they extended the stay of the Soldiers already present and promised to send 15 more Soldiers to help. Gov. Hoeven praised and thanked the volunteers, the Soldiers and the emergency services personnel, calling them an example of "North Dakotans helping North Dakotans."
The water in Beaver Creek is going down a little, leaving huge chunks of ice behind, but it is too soon to relax. Water from today's rain is still working its way east, and more rain or snow is likely.
March 24: Fifteen more Soldiers from the Bismarck area, mostly from the 1-112th Aviation Battalion, arrived in Linton at 11:30 p.m. yesterday. They immediately went to work. By midnight, some were manning the southern traffic control point while others filled sandbags. They brought three more LMTVs, plus a Humvee and a van.
Sgt. Steve Inglish, of Lincoln, N.D., who was recently named North Dakota's Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, was one of them. Outside of the Guard, he's a part-time paramedic with Metro Ambulance. Pfc. Alisa Nagel, Bismarck, also was at work. She does computer networking for the Guard fulltime.
"I'm from here and I wanted to help," Pfc. Nagel said. Her grandparents, Edwin and Dolores Nagel, still live in Linton. Fortunately, they're half a block from the hospital, on high ground. "They were OK when I talked to them yesterday morning," she said.
Six gas-fueled pumps are reported on their way from the Guard as soon as they can get them here, but road conditions are an obstacle. For instance, I-94 is closed from Mandan to Dickinson.
As of 8:30 a.m., it is snowing in Linton, and 3 to 5 inches have been forecast. The water is rising, from snow melt and yesterday's rain, and is up to 18.3 feet. The water is over the headlights on an LMTV on Highway 83 south of town, but the LMTVs can still reach Don's Motel, where the Soldiers who arrived Sunday slept last night. Most of them got little or no sleep Sunday night and were reaching their limits, so the arrival of fresh Soldiers to spell them was welcome.
- Three 350-gallons-per-minute pumps with Guardsmen to operate will arrive in Linton, weather permitting, by 2 p.m. today to assist the city.
March 26: About 20 Airmen will begin work in Linton today, replacing the Soldiers who have been working there. They come from the 219th Security Forces Squadron of the North Dakota Air National Guard in Minot, N.D.
March 29: Mission complete in Linton. The 17 personnel from the 219th Security Forces Squadron will be moving to the Joint Task Force - East in Fargo.
Lisbon, N.D. ""
March 24: 20 Guardsmen will arrive in Lisbon this morning to provide traffic control points to support a civilian contractor constructing a dike there.
March 26: Guardsmen continue to assist by manning traffic control points.
- In Ransom County, 55 Guardsmen are on duty to provide pump operations, dike patrol and security operations.
March 30: All assigned missions in Ransom County have been completed, and assets have returned to Fargo.
Mayville, N.D. ""
March 25: Fifty members of the 136th Combat Service Sustainment Battalion and the 132nd Quartermaster Company assisted in the sandbag effort in Mayville, N.D. which began at approximately 4 p.m. yesterday.
March 26: Guardsmen continue to assist with the sandbagging effort.
March 27: Six Guardsmen will provide 24-hour security in support of the North Dakota Highway Patrol at a temporary shelter at Mayville State University.
Oxbow, N.D. ""
March 25-26: Guardsmen are hauling sand to support Oxbow and also brought in two 600-gallon-per-minute pumps with operators. p
March 26: A North Dakota Army National Guard boat rescue crew left this morning to help evacuate Oxbow residents.
March 27-30: Guardsmen operating a 600 gallons-per-minute pump on site.
March 31-April 1: Guardsmen switched out to a smaller pump since the 600 GPM was no longer needed on site. They continue to operate and maintain it.
Pembina, N.D. ""
March 25: A 60-kilowatt generator and a National Guard operator were sent to Pembina to coordinate with a local licensed electrician.
Valley City, N.D. ""
March 27: The North Dakota Army National Guard's 68th Troop Command (from Bismarck) is providing 25 soldiers for 24-hour security at five different locations in Valley City.
Wahpeton, N.D. ""
March 22-23: 1 excavator Trac-Hoe conducting ice jam break-up operations
March 23:
- 12 Soldiers and Airmen to begin dike patrol in Wahpeton, and three 20-ton dump trucks have been pre-positioned in Wahpeton so they are ready to assist when needed.
- 1 North Dakota National Guard sandbagging machine with a 5,000-per-hour bag capacity sent to Wahpeton.
- As of 1:20 p.m., 30 Soldiers and Airmen with equipment have been directed to Wahpeton to begin evacuating portions of the city. They will be transporting 100,000 sandbags from Orwell Dam to Richland County. Soldiers and Airmen also will assist in moving and placing water pumps.
March 23-24: Guardsmen are transporting 250,000 sandbags from 1400 32nd Ave. N., Fargo, to Wahpeton.
March 25-26: Soldiers and Airmen are helping to break up ice jams, patrol dikes, evacuate Richland County residents, sandbag and operate dump trucks. They also brought three 350-gallon-per-minute pumps that they are operating in Richland County.
March 30 - present: A small contingent of Guardsmen continue to monitor the Wild Rice area. They have responded to several locations in the past couple of days with equipment, personnel and sandbags.
VIDEOS/PHOTOS
B-roll footage and high-resolution photos are consistently being pushed to our FTP site:
FTP Server: ftp://ftp.state.nd.us
ID: ndngftp
Password: PIO2493 (case sensitive)
MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION
Media contacts for Guard operations:
- Dan Murphy at 701-333-2007 (office) or 701-426-0190 (cell) and daniel.m.murphy@us.army.mil
- Amy Willson at 701-451-6130 (office) or 701-412-6895 (cell) and amy.wieserwillson@us.army.mil
- Penny Ripperger at 701-451-2195 (office) or 701-238-6944 (cell) and penny.ripperger@ndfarg.ang.af.mil
- Bill Prokopyk at 701-333-2129 (office) and william.prokopyk@us.army.mil
Department of Emergency Services media contact:
- Cecily Fong at 701-328-8100 or 701-391-8158
Governor's office media contact:
- Don Canton at 701-328-2424
United States Coast Guard's local media contact:
- Brandon Blackwell at 310-801-6063
ADDITIONAL UPDATES
Follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day: www.twitter.com/ndnationalguard.
Stories and information also are posted to our Facebook page; search "North Dakota National Guard."
Since the terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 2,800 Soldiers and more than 1,600 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. More than 3,000 National Guardsmen remain in North Dakota and are available to provide support for state and national emergencies and homeland defense.