Grand Forks County mulls flood-fighting policy

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Grand Forks County commissioners plan to adopt an official written flood policy before the next spring flooding threat.

The policy will spell out what the county will provide to protect people's property.

Under an unofficial policy that has been in use the past two decades, the county has paid for sandbags but residents have been responsible for paying for sand. However, when flooding has occurred the county often has expanded the list of flood-fighting costs it will cover, including sand.

Any new written policy is likely to establish minimum standards for what the county will provide, whether that is sand, empty bags or something else. Commissioners also have discussed setting trigger points such as river elevations or National Weather Service forecasts at which the county would provide more.

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