Officials say Medora has seen relief from the flooding waters of the Little Missouri River and they are excited to host visitors over Memorial Day weekend, but possible rain is keeping their eyes in the sky.
Forecasts show the river dropping, but rain may have an adverse effect. Officials are taking precautions to ensure the holiday weekend goes on uninterrupted.
The river has dropped nearly 2 feet since the 20.48 foot crest on Wednesday, but the waterway was still in the moderate flood stage Friday afternoon. Earth dikes have been in place since Monday to protect the community, historical artifacts and businesses up to 23 feet of water.
Mayor Doug Ellison said Friday the dikes have kept the town dry thus far, but a downpour might be cause for concern.
"We are worried about the rain forecast more than anything," he said.
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National Weather Service Meteorolgist Ken Simosko said some rain was a good bet for the weekend.
"We don't want any more, but an inch to an inch and a half could be pretty common in the area," Simosko said.
Showers are in the forecast Sunday through Tuesday, with the heaviest downpours on Monday, Simosko said.
Stark County Emergency Manager Bill Fahlsing and Dunn County Emergency Manager Denise Brew traveled to Medora to offer support Friday.
"We are just monitoring the area of Medora and Billings County right now because of the rainfall expected," Fahlsing said, adding that Stark County has no concerns of flooding.
The dikes are frequently monitored to ensure there are no leaks or seepage and that suspect areas are reinforced, Southwest District Health Unit Director Sherry Adams said.
Adams has been working as a safety officer in Medora and said the town is stable, but officials want to be sure the town can handle the worst case
scenario.
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"There is a forecast for rain across the Missouri River Basin so when you are at flood stage as it is and you add additional rain, the potential is there for more flooding," Adams said.
She added that extra pump trucks have been brought into the area because water is not able to drain from the interior of the community because of the dikes. If it rains "they have to hurry up and pump it back out of town."
Officials plan to keep precautions in place through the weekend and will reassess needs on Tuesday.
Adams said it is just to be safe and save work.
"It's much easier to keep everything up and in place to be prepared, as opposed to taking it down and then scrambling to get it back up," Adams said.
Wibaux County Disaster and Emergency Coordinator Frank Datta said he had not encountered any problems in the area he overlooks and was happy to hear Medora was stable.
"I hope it stays like that," Datta said.
Despite the additional water, the town will basically conduct business as usual over the Memorial Day weekend, Ellison said.
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• The highly-toured town is accessible from the westbound Interstate 94 exit 27. Exit 24 is closed because of water.
• The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is open, but requires a minor detour east of the Park Visitor Center to enter. The South Unit is open except Cottonwood Campground, which is flooded.
• Bully Pulpit Golf Course and the Medora Campground are closed until water recedes.
• The historic Chateau de Mores is inaccessible due to road closures.
Most events are to take place as scheduled. For more information contact the Medora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at 701-623-4829.
