Minot , North Dakota ( CNN ) -- The bloated Souris River has crested at an historic high in Minot , North Dakota , but floodwaters likely will remain at or near their current level for several days , authorities said Sunday . `` At this point , the river has had its crest so far in Minot , but a number of locations downstream still have some high water yet to come , '' said Richard Kinney , a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Bismarck . North Dakota . A crest is defined as the high point of the water during a flood before it begins to recede . A boil-water order , issued as a precaution on Saturday , remains in effect . And experts caution that although the water rose quickly -- flooding up to 4,000 homes to some degree -- it will be slow to recede . `` We did have a couple of close calls at the temporary dikes last night , '' Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman told reporters Sunday . `` Both those areas have been repaired . '' He reminded residents not to enter the evacuation zone . The river at Minot crested at 1,561.72 feet above sea level Sunday morning , said Kinney -- below earlier predictions but still almost 4 feet above an 1881 record . Water levels had fallen to 1,561.48 feet by Sunday night , Kinney said . Many residents of Minot , who evacuated ahead of the rising water , approached the water 's edge on Sunday , hoping to catch a glimpse of their homes , said CNN 's Jim Spellman . Most often , they are disappointed at the devastation they see , he said . Spellman said when he toured the hardest-hit area by boat , several residents gave him their addresses and asked him to check on their homes . Everyone was hoping their home might be the one that was spared , he said , but he had to bring back bad news . `` It 's a somber feeling , sitting here , '' said resident Steve Knab . He recalled `` listening to the sirens go off , and they evacuated us , and coming back the next day and seeing this ... it 's disheartening . '' But , he said , `` we 'll get there . We 're healthy . '' These personal struggles come as local , state and federal authorities rush to minimize the damage to property and maximize security and safety of residents . Three recovery centers will open on Monday -- two in Minot and one in Bismarck , Gov . Jack Dalrymple told reporters . Residents can visit the location to find out about assistance programs and `` meet with someone who is able to answer your questions directly , '' he said . But , he noted , it is not necessary for residents to visit the centers to register for disaster assistance , which can be done by telephone or online . He said he had toured the area , and it was `` sobering , to say the least . '' A task force is being set up to immediately begin working on returning children to schools , whether those schools are restored or relocated . Evacuee Robin Taylor said residents have been helping one another . When her family had to evacuate in a hurry , neighbors on both sides pitched in , she said . Jim Sarroll has lived in Minot his entire life . He has sandbagged his home , located just outside the evacuation zone , with the help of neighbors , and said Sunday it is dry for now . He is , however , very concerned about the water . `` I flushed my toilet this morning , and the water was red , '' he said . Still , he said he is able to see the positives when neighbors , relatives and friends bond to get through a disaster the best they can . The Souris flows through the center of Minot , a city of about 36,000 . About a third of the city 's population is under evacuation orders . About 900 National Guard soldiers and about 100 airmen from Minot Air Force Base are assisting in the Minot area , authorities said . Minot officials told residents Saturday that tap water should be boiled for at least a minute before consuming in order to kill any dangerous organisms . The focal point in Minot continues to be the Broadway Bridge , a critical north-south route through town . Officials have been working round-the-clock to prevent the river from inundating nearby routes , all part of larger efforts aimed at preventing Minot from effectively being split in half by the flooding . `` It 's really important that ( Broadway ) bridge stays open , '' said Cecily Fong , spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services . Republican Rep. Rick Berg said he had been in touch with officials in Washington -- which has authorized FEMA to grant assistance -- and expressed optimism that the government will work well with residents to overcome the challenges . `` You 're seeing people at the highest levels working together , putting politics behind them , '' said North Dakota 's lone congressman . Berg , though , cautioned that the `` marathon '' was far from over . For instance , water levels near the Broadway Bridge were still expected to remain around 1,561 feet through Tuesday -- with a slow drop over the coming week . And the worst is yet to come for other North Dakota cities and towns . In Sawyer , `` we 'll be approaching peak levels over next 24 hours , '' meteorologist Patrick Ayd of the National Weather Service in Bismarck said early Sunday morning . Water levels in Velva are expected to peak Monday or Tuesday . The situation prompted the evacuation Saturday of Sawyer 's 350 residents as water from the Souris River began to slosh up a main street through town , according to the U.S . Corps of Engineers . Ken and Janelle Herslip 's house -- less than a mile from the Souris -- was one of those flooded on Sunday . Even though a crew of more than three dozen friends and family helped them evacuate on Monday -- scouring the house for everything that was n't attached to the walls -- Ken Herslip said Saturday his wife was still devastated . `` We 've had many homes over our life , and she finally got the house of her dreams , '' he said . `` She is absolutely devastated , bawling all the time . '' Herslip , who built the house , is n't so busted up . No one was hurt , and they can build again , he said . Still , he said , `` it will never be the same . '' CNN 's Alexandra Steele , Mike Pearson , Holly Yan , Phil Gast and Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report .
NEW : River levels at Minot begin their slow retreat , a NWS forecaster says . `` It 's disheartening , '' says resident Steve Knab . 3,000 to 4,000 homes have been affected by floodwater in Minot . The Souris River has topped its record crest from 1881 .