Moorhead Improves Infrastructure for Flood Flight

The City has Invested $110 Million since 2009 to Improve Flood Prevention Measures

MOORHEAD, Minn. — After the floods of 2009, Moorhead realized it needed to be more prepared in case such disastrous conditions hit the city again.

“2009 back-up through the city storm sewer system was a major threat,” Moorhead City Engineer Bob Zimmerman said. “And we have installed a number of improvements to prevent that from happening in the future.”

In the ten years since that major flood, the city has invested $110 million towards bettering the area for future threats.

“All totaled, there are about 260 property acquisitions, about twelve miles of permanent levees and a number of storm-water improvements,” Zimmerman said.

This means that when it comes time to fight a flood, Moorhead has more permanent options.

“We have less temporary measures that we need to implement,” Zimmerman said. “In 2009, we used about 2.5 million sandbags. This year, for that same type of event, we would use less than 100,000 sandbags.”

Although sandbagging has been put on hold as weather conditions look optimistic over the next month, it is still best for everyone to be ready in the case of an emergency.

“If you’re not prepared, that’s disastrous. If you over-prepare, that is far less disastrous,” Zimmerman said. “The goal here is – there is a delicate balance to how much preparation you do, how much is too much, how much is not enough – but we are feeling pretty good right now that we have hit the spot that we need to be.”