We have been preparing for the massive flood here. Catherine and I have been volunteering in a variety of ways. Wednesday afternoon on the way to volunteering as a radio operator at the Clay County Emergency Operations Center, I shot the following panorama of the view from Moorhead, facing Fargo, just south of the Main Avenue bridge at 4:48pm, when the river was at 39.4 feet. It is impressive to note that the bottom of this bridge is normally about 20 feet above the river.

The Red River is now at 40.01 feet and should pass the historical record from 1897 of 40.1 feet by morning. It is expected to crest at 42-43 feet. We are pretty bloody scared right now, but everyone seems to be pulling together to save our city.

(Click on image for larger version of panoramic image)

Keep in mind this view is about 180 degrees and a bit distorted as a result. The river is normally only a few tens of yards wide here. The left hand side of this ‘river’ is actually Woodlawn Park which normally takes up all the typically floods. Also notice the light poles in the water.