Red River Rising: The Anatomy of a Flood and the Survival of an American City [NOOK Book]

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Overview

"On April 19, 1997, in one of the most dramatic floods in U.S. history, more than 50,000 people abandoned their homes and businesses in Grand Forks, North Dakota. A nation watched as the heart of downtown, engulfed by a river, burst into flames above the water line. Like Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, Red River Rising is a compelling true-life narrative about the confluence of natural forces and human error that shaped one of the greatest natural disasters in U.S. history.Ashley Shelby tells the dramatic stories of the flood: the suspenseful, blizzard-filled spring; the difficulties scientists had in predicting the river's crest; the struggles of people who fought the rising waters and of those who marshalled the
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More About This Book

Overview

"On April 19, 1997, in one of the most dramatic floods in U.S. history, more than 50,000 people abandoned their homes and businesses in Grand Forks, North Dakota. A nation watched as the heart of downtown, engulfed by a river, burst into flames above the water line. Like Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, Red River Rising is a compelling true-life narrative about the confluence of natural forces and human error that shaped one of the greatest natural disasters in U.S. history.Ashley Shelby tells the dramatic stories of the flood: the suspenseful, blizzard-filled spring; the difficulties scientists had in predicting the river's crest; the struggles of people who fought the rising waters and of those who marshalled the city's forces. Despite technological advances in meteorology, despite the brute force of hundreds of earth movers, despite the utter determination of thousands who built and walked the levees, the river won.This book is a gripping story of the terrific cost of natural disasters and a fascinating portrait of how ordinary people rose to an extraordinary challenge. It is also a clear-eyed examination of the disastrous aftermath: the second-guessing and blame directed at the National Weather Service, at city and federal officials, and at the people of Grand Forks themselves as they struggled to rebuild. With empathy and penetrating intelligence, Shelby uncovers the conflicts, conspiracy theories, and recrimination that tore at the community after the waters fell. Through the powerful stories of memorable individuals Red River Rising gives us new perspective on disaster and community.Praise for Red River Rising
"Red River Rising is a beautifully written, haunting saga of a community in distress. Although the touchstone of this narrative is April 19, 1997, when one of the worst floods in U.S. history occurred, in truth it's a gripping human drama with timeless appeal. Words cannot fully express the admiration I have for Ashley Shelby's seamless and compassionate prose-style." -- Douglas Brinkley, author of Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War and director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans.
"

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780873516945
  • Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
  • Publication date: 4/5/2004
  • Sold by: Barnes & Noble
  • Format: eBook
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 265
  • Sales rank: 1,028,930
  • File size: 3 MB

Meet the Author

Ashley Shelby received a degree in journalism from Indiana University and a Master of Fine Arts in non-fiction writing from Columbia University. Her work has been published in The Nation, Gastronomica, Post Road, The Sonora Review, and The Portland Review, as well as in the anthology Looking Back. Her fiction has been awarded the William Faulkner Short Fiction Award. Shelby grew up in Minneapolis and now lives in New York, where she works in publishing and is the co-curator of the KGB Bar Nonfiction Reading Series.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1 The Way Winter Ends 3
2 River Town 22
3 Watersick 35
4 Red River Rising 53
5 Flood and Fire 79
6 Devastation 102
7 Angels and Devils 127
8 The Value of Home 156
9 The Mistake 170
10 To Rebuild a City You Must Take It Apart 185
11 Flood Angst 211
12 Disaster Democracy 233
13 After the Flood 235
Notes 243
Selected Bibliography 257
Acknowledgements 263

Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 10, 2004

    A gripping story about the twin forces of weather and human nature

    Shelby has written a compelling story about a natural disaster of biblical proportions. In her expert hands, the events -- and the people -- are presented with power and poetry. A great read!!

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