Geese and airboats on patrol shared the swamped streets of Minot on Friday as the Souris River surged past its 1881 flood record, rising so quickly that its progress could be seen inching up the side of homes.

At 11 a.m. local time, the Souris tied the 1881 record after rising 11 inches in the previous hour. It should rise as much as 6 or 7 feet higher over the weekend, fed by heavy rain upstream and water releases from Canadian reservoirs.

North Dakota's fourth-largest city expected widespread flood damage, and as many as 10,000 residents, about one-fourth of the population, were ordered from their homes earlier this week. Crews focused on protecting critical infrastructure to avoid an expanded evacuation.