ENN Online R esidents of Grand Forks, N.D., shouldn't have been surprised by this year's floods, University researchers say.
Historical documents suggest flooding of that magnitude is nothing new to the Red River Valley.
University researchers hope that by studying the area's recent and past flooding, they can determine the causes. The 1897 Red River Valley flood caused 15 deaths and left 50,000 people homeless, according to an April 1897 report compiled by the Climate and Crop Service. The service was a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency. Sharon Knutsen, an extension educator for the University of Minnesota Extension Service, is a resident of the valley whose house was inundated by flood waters. Knutsen is currently rebuilding her Ada, Minn., home.