June 23 – RED WING, Minn. – As flooding caused by heavy weekend rains eases in southeastern Minnesota, emergency management officials are still preparing for rising sea levels.
Forecasts show the potential for major flooding on the Mississippi River in Red Wing next Sunday, June 30, 2024. That depends in part on how much rain does or does not fall in the area between now and then and how quickly the waters fill. this weekend’s flooding passes through the system, forecasters say.
Rounds of storms drenched southeastern Minnesota, pushing streams and rivers to or near flood stage. Some of the floodwaters reached roads, causing closures and diversions during Saturday’s heavy rain.
In 72 hours – from the morning of Thursday, June 20, through the morning of Sunday, June 23 – about 6.5 inches of rain fell in Austin, Minnesota, and more than 6 inches of rain was measured in parts of Fillmore County. Interstate 90 in Mower County was briefly closed due to standing water in all four lanes. In Fillmore County, a portion of U.S. Highway 63 was also briefly closed.
Most flooded creeks and rivers peaked Sunday night and most roads were open again after inspections found no road damage, Minnesota Department of Transportation officials reported.
“Once it goes off the road, we make sure it’s passable and open it up,” said Cindy Morgan, public engagement coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. “So far in this region we have not seen any concerns.”
As floodwaters reached the Mississippi River, some roads remained closed Sunday afternoon. Water was over the road on Minnesota Highway 250, east of Lanesboro, Minnesota, where the South Fork of the Root River meets the main channel.
The rise of the Root River prompted the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office to issue a voluntary evacuation of campsites in low-lying areas along the river.
North of there, Minnesota Highway 74 was closed due to flooding on the Whitewater River near Weaver, Minnesota. Goodhue County Road 7 was closed when water from the Cannon River overtopped the road.
Some residents along the Cannon River piled up sandbags to protect their homes, said Earl Merchlewitz, Goodhue County Emergency Management Director. MnDOT closed Minnesota Highway 20 north of Cannon Falls as water covered the road there, Merchlewitz said. Like most major roads in the region, this highway was open again on Sunday morning. However, many rural roads are still being assessed for damage, Merchlewitz said.
Merchlewitz said the Cannon River crested in the areas of concern Sunday afternoon.
“Everything points to what we want to see,” he said.
After that, he and emergency planners in Red Wing will prepare for flooding along the Mississippi.
The Mississippi River is forecast to reach just below major flood stage, but the forecast will likely change, Merchlewitz said.
“We’re still waiting to see how much will come out of the Minnesota (River) and how much rain the basin will receive this week,” he said.
These and other factors can affect river forecast models, said Cathy Zapotocny, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The region’s soils were dry at the beginning of the season. How those soils now absorb more moisture is also a factor in determining the extent of flooding downstream, she said.
“A lot of this depends on how good the modeling is at moving water from one location to another in the water system,” she said. “We had a prolonged drought and we had a large recharge of water in the soil.”
Rain is forecast for the region on Monday night and Friday. Zapotocny said this could also affect the flood forecast. However, some of the rivers and streams that flow into the Mississippi are efficient at moving water quickly and can transfer rainfall to the Mississippi quickly before the predicted rise.
One of those quick-reacting rivers is the South Branch of the Zumbro River, which was so high Saturday afternoon that the new rain had nowhere to go but to West River Parkway in Rochester.
The city’s public works team closed the street.
On Sunday morning, the road was open again when the water receded again.
“The South Fork of the Zumbro is a very ‘flashy’ river,” said Aaron Luckstein, the city’s deputy director of public works. “It will be quick to go up and quick to come down.”
City staff were busy Friday through Sunday morning, Luckstein said.
Trails in some areas along these creeks and the Zumbro River were underwater. Those trails will remain closed through Sunday until city staff inspect the trails for damage Monday morning, Luckstein said.
Crews were also at Silver Lake Dam to open floodgates and lower the dam to increase water flow through the system and prevent flooding upstream.
“It’s essentially designed to act as if the dam doesn’t exist,” Luckstein said.
Areas of southeastern Minnesota received heavy rain on Friday and Saturday. These are the 72-hour totals as of Sunday morning, June 23, according to the National Weather Service:
*Elgin, 6.7 inches
*Austin, 6.5 inches
* Wykoff, 6.18 inches
* Kasson, 5.7 inches
* Fillmore, 6.04 inches
* Rochester, 5.15 inches
