The North Dakota National Guard and other state and local agencies are preparing for potential spring flooding around the state.
National Guard Adjutant General Alan Dohrmann said a state team has been meeting to talk about response plans, and the Guard is reaching out to its partners at the local level.
"There's only one agency that has the actually has reserve forces, and that's the National Guard," Dohrmann said. "If things get tough, we know we have to come in and help out."
Dohrmann said a plan is being put together, and is being synced with the Department of Emergency Services. And he said the Guard is making sure its contacts and relationships are in place."
"Local armories and staff are making sure they make contact with local sheriffs and local emergency managers, so that if we have to help out anywhere in the state, we're not meeting for the first time when there is an emergency."
Dohrmann said right now, it is too early to say whether the Guard will be deployed this spring to help in flood fights.
"My hope is that we over-prepare, and Mother Nature says, 'They're too prepared, and we won't mess with them this year,'" Dohrmann said.
But Dohrmann said the contributing factors are there, including having moisture content in the soil at a 125-year high. And the snow amounts have been very high in eastern North Dakota.
"They have a lot of snow on the ground," Dohrmann said. "And Mother Nature has the last say on how the melt will occur."
