Beltrami County prepares residents for flooding

BEMIDJI (AP) - Officials in Bemidji and Beltrami County are urging residents to prepare as rain and melting snow threatens to give way to overland flooding.

The city is offering a sandbagging class Saturday and selling unfilled sandbags all next week.

The bags are going for 25 cents apiece, which helps cover the cost of delivering sand. Residents can get the sand delivered to their homes.

The threat of flooding is rising statewide as warm temperatures and rainfall persist.

Last year's rapid thaw led to overland flooding that damaged six homes in Bemidji.

Also, the National Weather Service says the Red River at Fargo, N.D., has risen into a minor flood stage.

Forecaster Bill Barrett said Saturday that it's still just the beginning of things and noted that at the 18-foot level, which the river crossed overnight, there are some street closings.

The river in Fargo-Moorhead is expected to rise more than 10 feet in the next week and cause moderate flooding. Major flood stage in Fargo-Moorhead is 30 feet. The weather service projects that the river will hit 28.9 feet by next Friday evening. Last spring, the Red hit a record 40.84 feet.