JACKSON, Minnesota – A lot of dirt is being moved along the banks of the Des Moines River in Jackson.
Parts of the community of 3,300 residents have been experiencing flooding since Saturday.
Levees have been built to hold back fast-flowing water from the bridge over Highway 71.
“I was there the night it started flooding and came over the bridge,” said Matt Pietrowski of Jackson.
Aerial images show the extent of the damage to homes and businesses along the river’s edge.
As water rises in Jackson on the west branch of the river, work continues to protect homes and businesses in the city’s downtown. They built dikes and used sandbags to prevent the kind of flooding that happened there 55 years ago.
“In 1969 it was a stone removed from the sidewalk. It was about a half inch to an inch from our doors on the main floor and our basement, when you opened the door it was on the landing. The basement was the entire time full way to the rafters,” said Tim Beck, a Jackson resident.
The Des Moines River in Jackson is expected to rise another half foot before cresting at 18 feet Wednesday evening. It is forecast to remain at major flood stage throughout the weekend.
