The proximity of Grand Forks to the Red River accounts for the devastation that the floods caused when the river's violent currents rushed into town, leaving many residents without homes. This was the second time this year Grand Forks was declared a disaster area.

Not since the Mississippi River flooding of 1993 has a river wreaked such havoc in a city's support systems and its residents' lives. The river is the Red River and the town is Grand Forks, North Dakota. Reports by the Los Angeles Times estimate that 45,000 residents in North Dakota and Minnesota are left homeless from the river's powerful currents. In Grand Forks, National Guard Staff Sgt. John Nygard comments, "It's like the entire population was sucked up into a UFO," as thousands were evacuated from their homes and businesses. Added to this devastation is the loss of the city's electric, gas and water systems, and the destruction caused by the fires and tons of raw sewage originating from the flood disaster. Grand Forks Mayor Pat Owens estimate property losses to be in the billions, although no formal damage estimates will be taken until the river recedes enough for inspection of the destroyed properties.