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N.D. (AP) – The mayor of flood-threatened Cavalier says residents are “breathing an enormous sigh of relief.”

The 1,300 residents in the northeastern North Dakota city were evacuated Tuesday night because of fears that floodwaters from days of steady rain would overwhelm the Renwick Dam on the Tongue River east of the city. Those fears have eased and residents are being allowed to return home at 7 a.m. Friday.

Mayor Kenneth Briese says residents “came within inches of losing our town.” He says it will still be a few days before the situation returns to normal. But he says, “we’re keeping our heads above water.”

CRYSTAL, N.D. (AP) – Floodwaters that swamped Crystal have stopped entering the small Pembina County town, and county Emergency Manager Andrew Kirking says the focus is now on cleanup.

Six families in the town of 160 people left their homes Tuesday when Crystal was flooded by heavy rain runoff that flowed across country in the county that slopes from west to east. The water began receding Wednesday, and on Thursday Kirking said the situation had improved dramatically. Mayor Larry McCollum says all of the families who left are back home.

Kirking says officials have ordered in several cleaning kits from the American Red Cross in Grand Forks to help residents with the recovery.