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Fargo Picks Up Flood Fight, Moorhead Stands Down

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — On a weekend when many homeowners in Fargo, N.D., will be monitoring floodgates, residents in neighboring Moorhead will be checking out Bill Gates.

Both cities are located on the banks of the rising Red River, but there are stark differences in what it will take to protect residents from flooding.

Fargo is looking at possibly sandbagging more than 200 homes. Moorhead is starting with a handful, most of which should be complete in time for a speech by Gates on Saturday morning at Concordia College.

Both cities have been working on flood protection efforts after three major floods starting in 2009, but Moorhead had fewer homes to buy out and fewer levees to build. And Moorhead is on higher ground.

Fargo has about 110,000 people, compared to 40,000 in Moorhead.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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