A Massive Blizzard Blanketed North Dakota In 1997 And It Will Never Be Forgotten

North Dakota is known for its harsh winters and it has had some blizzards over the years that certainly prove that true. From harsh snow storms in the late 1800s to the present day, every once in awhile there is a massive blizzard that makes it to the history books. If you lived in North Dakota in 1997, especially in the Red River Valley, you can certainly attest to this one and may even remember exactly where you were when the blizzard hit.

This snowstorm came after a winter that had already been pretty heavy on the snowfall. Almost 100 inches of snow was recorded throughout that winter. By April most of it had melted away, but we were about to experience weather that was going to cover everything once again on the 5th of that month. First it was rain, as was to be expected in spring, but the rain froze and soon enough it was a full on blizzard. Strong winds did not help as the storm created whiteout conditions. Travel was impossible, and conditions of cities along the Red River were becoming dire.

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About 15 inches of snow fell on that fateful day. Travel was stopped, power was down in many places, and the storm was big enough to earn the name "Hannah" and it would go down in history books. It completely covered much of the state in a blanket of snow and ice. But even if the snow was bad, it was the aftermath it caused that people remember most.

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After an already snowy winter and heavy rains prior, Hannah was the tipping point that resulted in an all out flood. It caused levees and dikes to be breached and the Red River rose to record breaking heights. In border towns like Fargo, Grand Forks, and Wahpeton, streets became submerged in water. The storm took out one of the world's tallest structures, a TV transmitting tower near Galesburg that was over 2,000 feet tall.

As the snow and freezing rain subsided, the flood became the real problem in the following weeks.

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Grand Forks was hit particularly hard by this flood. Sandbags had been overtaken and failed in numerous parts of the community but there was no way for trucks to get out there with more to build them up again. Power to most parts of the area was spotty at best, and entirely out in some.

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Evacuations were held for over 50,000 people in many areas in the valley where homes became submerged. People who had been visiting were stuck there for longer than they intended in hotels and motels that were reaching their capacity.

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Grand Forks also suffered from a fire in the downtown area as a result of the flood. It spread to 11 buildings, including 60 apartments. Firefighters could not stop it soon enough as it was nearly impossible to get their trucks close enough due to the high waters flooding the streets.

When all was said and done, there was over $3.5 billion in damage in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks alone, placing this in the top 10 most expensive US disasters of the 20th century. Four and a half million acres of land had been covered in water until May when the flood waters finally receded. Luckily, no one was killed in both the monstrous blizzard or devastating floods. It surely will never be forgotten!