Residents of parts of Minot, N.D., are evacuating their homes due to melting snow that's fueling the region's worst flood in four decades.

Water from the Souris River is pouring over dikes protecting the city. Sirens warned people to be prepared to move out quickly. The National Weather Service urged residents early on to seek higher ground.

"Be cautious and be courteous," Mayor Curt Zimbelman said as he made the evacuation announcement on a local television station. "Everybody's trying to do the same thing. If we work together, the result's probably going to be the best."

This marks the second time in a month residents have had to evacuate due to flooding.

Nearly 500 North Dakota National Guard soldiers are in Minot to provide traffic control, secure neighborhoods, and ensure people were leaving their homes as instructed.