Aug 12, 2008 2:59 pm US/Central
Heavy Rain Swamps Wahpeton, Breckenridge
WAHPETON, N.D. (AP) ―
Streets in the city of Wahpeton, N.D. and neighboring Breckenridge, Minn. were closed for more than two hours after the area got up to 7 inches of rain.
The rain hit Monday night, leading to a flash flood warning and a no travel advisory. At least one bridge was closed.
"The storm sewers didn't have the capacity for the amount of storm water we received," said Wahpeton City Engineer Randy Nelson.
On the south side of Wahpeton, Nelson said, water was as high as a foot and a half on some streets.
Richland County Emergency Manager Brett Lambrecht said the Wahpeton Fire Department pulled out trucks to block some of the main roads in the city to help with traffic control.
Lambrecht said he emptied 7 1/4 inches from his own rain gauge late Monday night.
Most areas were dry and passable in both lanes by 1 a.m. Tuesday, Nelson said.
Rain gauges from around Richland County indicated Hankinson got about 2 inches, Abercrombie and Great Bend about 5 inches each and Lidgerwood about 3 inches. Breckenridge reported more than 5 inches.
"Things were pretty dry, it was a welcomed rain. We just didn't need this much," Lambrecht said.
The National Weather Service said both Fargo and Grand Forks also set rainfall records for the date, with 3.3 inches in Fargo and 1.6 inches in Grand Forks. The agency said it did not have adequate data to track records for Wahpeton.
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