FLOOD UPDATE: Portable floodwalls will be used in flood fight as city scrambles for protection

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FARGO - Fargo will add a new tool to its flood fight today, deploying portable sand containers that the North Dakota National Guard normally uses to protect its bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, officials said.

The sand-filled barriers, called Hesco Concertainer units, can be used to create a temporary levee in about one-tenth the time it takes to build a similar sandbag levee, said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard.

The Guard will provide about 35,000 feet of the barriers, he said. The city of Fargo also bought $400,000 worth of containers, which are expected to arrive from Louisiana by noon Tuesday, Mayor Dennis Walaker said.

In total, the 4½-foot-high containers will provide about five miles of flood protection, Fargo City Commissioner Tim Ma-honey said.

Sprynczynatyk said the containers are typically 15 feet long and easy to place, with the ability to cover 1,000 feet of riverfront in an hour or less.

However, they must be placed on relatively flat ground, and sand trucks must have access to fill the containers, which makes them unusable in some backyards along the river. The Belmont Park area is one place where they’ll be used, Walaker said.

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Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528

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