AS dawn broke yesterday, the heart of Grand Forks lay blackened and in ruins. The swollen Red River had advanced relentlessly over this flood stricken and fire ravaged city yesterday as emergency officials warned that more disaster could lie ahead.
Hospital patients and high risk federal prisoners joined an exodus of thousands of refugees from Grand Forks, where dark icy floodwaters swirled waist deep through a centre left gutted.
Authorities widened the mandatory evacuation zone to cover 90 per cent of the city's approximately 50,000 residents. Across the river in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, the entire population was under orders to leave.
Grand Fork's tribulations began at the weekend when the Red River burst through clay dikes and swept into the city. A devastating fire followed, tearing through the central business district as several metres of water kept firefighters from their job.
The fire destroyed at least 11 buildings. Paradoxically, water proved to be the enemy. Firefighters searched frantically through murky brown floodwaters for hydrants to which they could attach hoses, only to find no pressure in the city's water system. They eventually gained the edge by using the floodwater itself as a weapon. In desperation, they loaded a pumper truck on to the back of a trailer, and then shot floodwaters through the pumper's turret gun.
The last of 60 hospital patients were evacuated late on Sunday night from a threatened hospital shutdown because of advancing waters. Officials also disclosed that 70 prisoners had been evacuated, including 12 high risk federal prisoners.
Residents may not be allowed to return to their homes for more than two weeks because of the lack of services.
Across the border in Canada meanwhile the 750 residents of the farming town of Emerson, Manitoba, were being evacuated yesterday as troops were called in to help to fortify dikes along the Red River.