Red River rising after recent heavy rains

After heavy rain, the Red River is rising quickly in Fargo-Moorhead.

Several heavy rainfalls in the Red River valley recently have pushed the river over the flood stage. Another widespread downpour Tuesday night dropped four to seven inches of rain.

The Red River is expected to crest and recede by the end of the week. Current projections show the river cresting at 31.8 feet sometime later by Thursday, well below the record high water mark of 40.8 feet of 2009.

Rain flooded streets and parks. Some residents also reported flooded basements. People who live in on Fargo's north side have been asked to restrict water use this morning. Heavy overnight rain has left the city wastewater treatment plant near capacity.

The rising river won't cause major problems, but Fargo will need to build an emergency levee to protect city hall, said city engineer April Walker.

"This is flashy. It's going to go up, it's going to peak and it's going to go back down very quickly," Walker said. "The current forecast that's out there it looks like even Thursday, Friday we're fine. We could have it down and out of the way."

Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker said the city needs a break from the persistent heavy rain.

"The bottom line is we do not need any more precipitation for the next ten days," Walaker said. "That's critical for the river to go down and the drains to go down so we can recover our capacity to handle future events."

Drier weather is forecast for the rest of the week.