Contact: Randee Exler
Media Advisory
INTERAGENCY SURVEY TEAM RELEASES FINAL REPORT ON RED RIVER OF
THE NORTH FLOODING
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration releases at noon
EDT its final assessment of services provided by the National Weather
Service during the April 1997 devastating floods in North Dakota and
Minnesota on the Red River of the North. The report , which includes a
detailed hydrologic analysis of the Red River of the North, and a separate
summary of actions taken following this event are located on the Internet
at
www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/Dis_Svy/RedR_Apr97 The report echoes the information provided in a preliminary briefing to the Grand Forks community in July 1997. The hydraulic analysis in the report is the culmination of an analysis designed to clarify the contributions of various factors to the flooding event. The activity summary discusses report findings and recommendations already acted upon and future initiatives that the National Weather Service may implement to further improve services.
"The National Weather Service is committed to providing the best possible flood warnings within the limits of the science technology, and resources available for the residents of the Red River of the North, in particular, and the Nation in general. We have learned from this flood and will continue to take steps to improve our services," said Edward Johnson, co-leader of the NOAA team and chief of the Hydrologic Operations Division, Office of Hydrology, NWS.