I've heard that the Empire Builder has been stopped in places in Minnesota because of flooding and wash-out of tracks. Info is that buses are being used. I've been eagerly planning my first train trip on the Empire Builder, using the very helpful advice on this and other boards.

I'm now trying to make contingency plans based on this information. Here are my questions (based on fact I really don't want to ride bus from Minneapolis to Chicago):
1. How do I find out if EB is running in specific places?
2. How far in advance does Amtrak know? For instance, I'll take EB from Sea to MSP. Will I only find out when we reach MSP that we're getting on buses OR will I know that when we leave SEA?
3. If I decide to jump-ship (I guess, jump-train?) in MSP, do I get refund for portion of trip on buses? I'm thinking that if remainder of trip is on bus, I might just attempt to fly home from MSP.
4. Is bus rerouting just for portion of trip OR is the entire MSP-SEA leg of trip?
5. What's the best source to find out information? I'm leaving for SEA tomorrow and will not have computer access. Who should I call?

I'm sure I'll be back with more questions as day progresses. Any help would be appreciated!