Amanda Ripley Author of The Unthinkable

The Red River seems to be retreating, but Fargo residents are staring down a fierce snow storm (14-inches of snow and wind-whipped waves are among the biggest concerns), which could worsen flooding.

Why is this happening? And how could things be different? It seems that Fargoans decided long ago that the Red River wouldn’t deter them from building homes along the river. Development has flourished around the river, despite residents’ misgivings.  John Clement, a long-time Fargo resident, told the Canwest News Service: “Fargo is just plain flat. Really, nobody should live here.”

But, they do.  And it’s unlikely they’ll move after the current threat of flooding has passed.  The New York Times reports yesterday that Fargo residents were unreceptive to preventative plans after the 1997 flood: “Plans had been in the works for better flood control measures, but they have been snagged and stalled, said Mayor Dennis Walaker, by residents who complained about “how the project might block their views, might change the way their backyards looked.”

But if you are going to take a risk and have a nice view, you should get insurance.  Shockingly few of the locals have done so.

Perhaps flooding of the Red River can’t be entirely prevented (after all, this is an area so flat that preventative measures can’t compete with geography), but it’s pretty clear that much more can be done to prevent all-out disasters.  Federal money is not the only answer.

North Dakota residents are bracing themselves for a possible 41.2 foot river swell. Fortunately, the people in charge seem to understand the value of regular people.  And regular people are out in force. One volunteer coordinating center had so many volunteers they had to turn people away.  As Nancy Pelosi said on the House floor yesterday:

“North Dakotans are no stranger either to the ideal of neighbors helping neighbors. Through the weekend and early parts of this week, thousands of people—including high school and college students, National Guardsmen, women, and our own Congressman Earl Pomeroy, among many others—have stood shoulder-to-shoulder, filling sandbags to protect Fargo and other cities from the dangers of rising waters. Others have come together to offer shelter to those forced to leave their homes.

As of late last night, Fargo residents and out-of-town volunteers had filled over 1 million sandbags—over 1 million sandbags—and they aren’t stopping. I salute the work of these Americans coming together in common purpose in this time of need. While there is and will be a significant federal role assisting those impacted, the work of the community is the first line of defense.”

With the worst of the flooding yet to come, it’s a waiting game for now.  As Fargo, North Dakota officials planned to pass out evacuation materials Thursday, Mayor Dennis Walaker was feeling pretty good: “Are we confident we’re going to beat this?” Walaker said. “Yes, we are. But we need to have contingency plans in place.”

All over the country, programs are being cut, buildings are being abandoned. To save money, people need to make hard choices, and some of them will be wrong.

What you don’t often hear are the ways that regular people are creating new things to save the old ones, one YouTube video at a time. Over the past month, my friend Suzy has harangued her friends, pestered her neighbors, enlisted her children, spoken at rallies, organized petitions, and driven bureaucrats to the brink of despair to hold onto her neighborhood nature center in Arlington, VA. The people in this little community now know each other a little better, and the kids now understand the civilized tedium of a county board public meeting.

We’ll find out what happens in the next week or so, but I think it’s safe to say that Suzy and her neighbors will come out of this more resilient than they were before. Go Suzy Go!

I didn’t know a simulated explosion could include a 20 to 30-foot “fireball” that lasts for 2 minutes. I thought that would fall into the category of an actual explosion.

Well, we’ll find out Wednesday morning apparently, as DC continues its inexorable march to TV fame and flame-out. The following alert is being sent around to various DC-area residents and buildings:

For the filming of a TV pilot, there will be a simulated explosion
on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, between 9:30 a.m. and noon near
Key Bridge in the District. The explosion will produce a 20 to 30’
fireball that will last for approximately two minutes.

The explosion will take place on the Potomac River just north of
the Key Bridge and Jack’s Boathouse (K/Water Street, NW under the
Whitehurst Freeway). In the scene to be filmed, there will be six (6)
sculling boats on the Potomac River and one of them blows up. CBS
Paramount television is filming a pilot titled “Washington Field.”
This is a new television series about the elite Washington field
office of the FBI and a team of agents with exceptional and diverse
skills who are called together for only the most critical cases.

The Department of Homeland Security and D.C. Police and Fire
departments have been notified, along with the Washington Airports
Authority. The Virginia State Patrol and Arlington Police Department
will also be contacted.

On Thursday, the FDNY unveiled the nation’s first and only high-rise fire simulator.  And in a city chock-full of high-rises, this is a great and much-needed improvement to the FDNY’s training programs.  The simulator, funded almost exclusively by actor Dennis Leary’s foundation (The Leary Firefighters Foundation), was a long time coming.  The four-story, 4,000 square-foot-space simulates the conditions of the particularly brutal high-rise fire. According to The Leary Firefighters Foundation, the simulator is an essential tool for the FDNY:

“High-rise, multiple dwelling fires are among the most complex and dangerous incidents for firefighters. These buildings hold in heat and fire gasses that can quickly spread, creating punishing conditions for fire personnel. The High-Rise Simulator will recreate the dangerous environment in which split-second, life or death decisions by firefighters are made…The practical skills learned through exercise in the Simulator will build the firefighter’s knowledge and confidence and serve as an important tool in addressing the safety of both civilians and rescue personnel.”

FDNY engine and ladder companies will train at the Randalls Island simulator over the next few months.