River stages exceeded the 100-year flood elevations identified in local floodplain management ordinances on the Minnesota River above New Ulm and along the entire length of the Red River of the North in Minnesota.
Record high flood stages
Minnesota River
Community | Previous Record (Year) | New Record 1997 |
|---|---|---|
Montevideo | 21.68 (1969) | 24.48 |
Granite Falls | 12.6 (1969) | 15.4 |
New Ulm | 30.5 (1969) | 32.23 |
Red River of the North
Community | Previous Record (Year) | New Record 1997 |
|---|---|---|
Breckenridge | 17.95 (1989) | 19.20 |
Moorhead | 37.34 (1969) | 39.75 |
Halstad | 39.00 (1979) | 40.67 |
East Grand Forks | 50.02 (1897) | 54.20 |
Drayton, N.D. | 43.66 (1979) | 45.54 |
Flood volume measurements taken during the 1997 flood are still being evaluated; however, preliminary results indicate that new record peak flows were recorded at many locations. The U.S. Geological Survey's preliminary calculation of peak mean daily flow (136,900 cubic feet per second) at East Grand Forks was record-setting.