Dick Dahl’s heart was pounding as he walked down the sidewalk to the door of the family home.

After only a few days away, the family’s sanctuary suddenly was a mystery.

‘‘I was scared that we’d have water in here,’’ Dahl said about his home at 2209 S. 22nd St. ‘‘But we’re completely dry. When I saw that, it was a sigh of relief.’’

For hundreds of Grand Forks residents, Thursday was the day that they’ve simultaneously dreaded and anxiously awaited — a chance to re-enter their homes for the first time since the flood of the Red River forced their evacuation last weekend.

Re-entry — not permanent, but a chance to check homes and grab necessities — was held from noon until 4 p.m. in a designated portion of southwest Grand Forks. The area was bordered by 13th and 32nd avenues and South Washington Street and Columbia Road. Security in the re-entry area was tight as the North Dakota Army National Guard, with the help of other state and federal agencies, monitored the return.

‘‘It’s a matter of putting this (security) together in an orderly fashion without having to call for martial law,’’ Grand Forks Mayor Pat Owens said.

Once residents reached the checkpoint, they were required to show identification and log in. They also received an orange pass for the dashboards of their vehicles.

‘‘I expect there will be a bell curve of people coming in and out,’’ National Guard Brig. Gen. Murray Sagsveen said. ‘‘But if they haven’t logged out by 4 p.m., we’ll go looking for them.’’

The return had mixed news for the residents.

The Dahls were among the lucky ones, with no water damage.

‘‘We’re so thankful,’’ said Linda Dahl, who had cried when the family evacuated. ‘‘Then you start thinking about your friends, what they might be going through, and you feel guilty, remorseful. But you can’t help but feel ecstatic for yourself.’’

Others weren’t so lucky.

Diane Brenno returned to her townhouse at 2715D Knight Drive to find 4 feet of water in the basement, and that was down from the water marks left on the walls.

‘‘We’ve had about 6 feet,’’ Brenno said. ‘‘Everything was floating in the basement — personal items, clothing, stereo equipment. The washer and dryer were under water. And there was some sewer backup.

‘‘We kind of expected it. But it’s still a major disappointment.’’

No matter what the news, residents seemed to take it well. Little emotion was shown as they exited the area by passing through the checkpoint at 17th Avenue South and Columbia Road.

Even those who were high and dry felt the effects.

Marilyn Steiner lives in a second-floor apartment, so her living quarters were dry. ‘‘But everything in the fridge and freezer was gross-smelling,’’ she said.

‘‘It doesn’t look like it got wet on the lower level of our apartment, either. It doesn’t look like there was a lot of water on the street. But there’s a lot of debris — papers, cans, stuff lying around that you don’t usually see.’’

Don Boggetto, who lives on the 1400 block of 15th Street South, had an aroma of a different variety. ‘‘It’s all sewer backup,’’ he said.

In addition to satisfying curiosity, re-entries were a chance to grab necessities left behind in the haste of the evacuation, such as clothes, medicine, etc. Most of the cars leaving the checkpoint at 17th Ave. South and Columbia road contained clothes and personal papers. Some were taking out food that had spoiled since power was cut to the area.

Becky McDonald, whose house at 1426 S. 26th St. only had a few inches of water in the basement, already was looking ahead. ‘‘We picked up more clothes. And some personal papers that we’re supposed to need for when FEMA calls us,’’ she said.

Also surviving was Ken Carlson’s mobile home in the Columbia Heights Park, which is off Columbia Road. Water was only up to the trailer’s foundation. He saw landscaping timber floating in other yards and skirts torn off the base of other mobile homes. ‘‘It was a real mess,’’ Carlson said.

Carlson came out with only two blankets. ‘‘They’re something we curl up in every night, watching TV,’’ Carlson said. ‘‘It will be like our security blanket from home.’’

Re-entry also was a chance to see neighbors and neighborhoods. Roger Chisholm took time away from the 18 inches of water in his basement to walk up and down South 19th Street.

‘‘Walking down the block, it seemed like the east side of our street had more water than the west side,’’ Chisholm said. ‘‘We’re thankful we only got 18 inches; some of our neighbors across the street had 4 feet of water in their basement.

‘‘It’s still kind of devastating, though, to go down and see your rec room, your laundry room, still all ruined. The sheetrock just sucks up that moisture. It’s ruined.’’

The city still remains in charge of security, but Owens called upon the National Guard for help. Sagsveen, who until Monday was a private attorney in Bismarck, said 100 Guardsmen were deployed. The Guard is receiving help from the Grand Forks Police Department, the State Highway Patrol and the state Game and Fish Department. U.S. marshals also have been made available if needed.

The Guard made two sweeps of the area before determining it was safe enough for residents to return for essentials.

‘‘When the water receded, we inspected the area, and then we made another cursory inspection to see if there were any power lines down or manhole covers blown off,’’ Sagsveen said.

Sagsveen said he didn’t anticipate looting during the limited re-entry. He said homeowners could be additional eyes and ears for security patrols.

‘‘By bringing people back in, it may even reduce that (looting) possibility,’’ Sagsveen said. ‘‘People here are upset that they’re away from their homes. But they’ve been polite. If everyone is courteous, we can avoid confrontations.’’

At the 17th Avenue and Columbia Road checkpoint, Lt. Mark Cutshaw said the re-entry appeared to run smoothly without major problems. ‘‘We’re not allowing any moving trucks in or anything like that,’’ Cutshaw said. ‘‘Basically, we’re just opening the area up so people can go see what the damage is.’’

Owens said residents of other areas will be able to inspect their homes when it’s safe. She gave no indication when that would be nor did she speculate about the next area that is likely to get similar privileges.

The same area opened Thursday will be open again today, again from noon until 4 p.m.