Overland flooding is prevalent in the western half of Stutsman County. Photo: Rick Bohn
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Melting snow and a high amount of precipitation from fall and winter 2019 has created major overland flooding in the western part of Stutsman County.
Stutsman County Emergency Manager Jerry Bergquist says the eastern portion of the county falls within the James River and Pipestem River drainage basin is drained off through tributaries and into the river. But this is not the case for western Stutsman County.
Bergquist says in some cases, roads are four or five feet underwater. And he says there’s nowhere for it to drain.
Right now, the North Dakota Department of Transportation is working on raising two areas along I-94 east of Cleveland and an area west of the Streeter exchange. Bergquist says both of these have the potential to go underwater.
Bergquist added that a lot of these roads have been identified through damage assessment to receive funding for repairs in response to the high precipitation in 2019.
Bergquist says the adjacent Kidder County is also experiencing the same issues. With roads being flooded out, he added that it affects emergency response to rural locations.
Listen to a full Let’s Talk About It with Jerry Bergquist below:
