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N.D. (AP) – The threat of a dam failure on the Tongue river west of Cavalier appears to be easing, and officials expect to decide soon on when 1,300 evacuated residents can return to their homes.

Pembina County Emergency Manager Andrew Kirking says the level of the water behind Renwick Dam on the Tongue River has been dropping since mid-day Wednesday. He says there’s still a threat that the dam near Cavalier could be overwhelmed by runoff from five days of heavy rain but that “the situation is improving.” Steady rainfall between Friday and Tuesday dumped about 9 inches of rain on parts of Pembina County.

Officials are meeting Thursday morning and hope to set a time when the 1,300 residents of Cavalier who were evacuated Tuesday night can return home.

CRYSTAL, N.D. (AP) – Floodwaters that swamped Crystal have stopped entering the small Pembina County town, and county Emergency Manager Andrew Kirking says the focus is now on cleanup. 

Six families in the town of 160 people left their homes Tuesday when Crystal was flooded by heavy rain runoff that flowed across country in the county that slopes from west to east. The water began receding Wednesday, and on Thursday Kirking said the situation had improved dramatically. Kirking says officials have ordered in several cleaning kits from the American Red Cross in Grand Forks to help residents with the recovery.