CAVALIER, N.D. — The North Dakota National Guard placed 119 one-ton sandbags to reinforce the Bourbanis Dam west of Cavalier, North Dakota, on Tuesday, May 4, and is placing more on Wednesday.
According to an update from Pembina County Emergency Management on Wednesday morning, sandbags placed by the Guard on Tuesday have been successful in stabilizing erosion at the dam.
North Dakota Highway 5 remains closed between North Dakota Highway 1 and North Dakota Highway 5.
The National Guard was called to reinforce the dam on Tuesday morning by Pembina County Emergency Management and the Pembina County Water Board . The Cavalier County Sheriff’s department said in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning that there was a possibility for “imminent rupture of the dam.”
Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters left Bismarck at 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, and began placing sandbags by 9:45 a.m. On Wednesday, they resumed operations at 7:30 a.m. after spending the night in Grand Forks, said Bill Prokopyk, spokesman for the North Dakota National Guard.
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