Severe flooding in the US state of North Dakota has swallowed up thousands of homes in and around the city of Minot. About 12,000 people - more than a quarter of the city's 41,000 residents - were forced out of their homes as a result of the deluge. <br /><br />And many more houses are at risk of being inundated because of a swift rise in water levels of the Souris river, which broke a 130-year-old record on Friday and is expected to rise more than six feet this weekend. <br /><br />City leaders say a top priority is getting a federal declaration that would qualify Minot residents for individual aid. They say that would allow FEMA to set up centers to begin working on transitional housing for flood victims.<br /><br />Cath Turner reports from Minot.
