June 22—ROCHESTER — Roads in southeastern Minnesota are closed this morning after heavy rains flooded parts of the region.
A portion of Interstate 90 was closed in Austin, but the lanes reopened at 8 a.m. Saturday, according to Mower County Emergency Manager Amy Bramwell. Portions of Minnesota Highway 56 remain closed in areas, she said, although later information from the Minnesota Department of Transportation indicated that Hwy. 56 has since reopened.
Bramwell said her department and the Sheriff’s Department conducted two water rescues in Austin today as of about 8:30 a.m.
“Please do not drive through barricades or drive through standing water,” she said. “There are roads flooded that have never been flooded before.”
The Mower County Sheriff’s Office said travel “is not advised as many roads in the county are flooded.” People who see flooded areas that are not barricaded are asked to call the Mower County sheriff’s non-emergency number, 507-437-9400, Bramwell said.
In addition to safety concerns, there are also health concerns related to human contact with the floodwaters, Bramwell said.
Creeks and rivers along Hwy. 56 north of I-90 in Mower County are overflowing their banks, flooding pastures and fields. Krueger Trucking, near I-90/Hwy. 56 junction, has standing water over the entire plot. In some places the water seems to be retreating.
To the east, in Fillmore County, part of US Highway 63 is closed. MnDOT says the road is closed between County Road 3, near Ostrander, and Minnesota Highway 16, in Spring Valley.
The flooding comes after days of heavy rain in southeastern Minnesota. More rain is expected today, in the form of non-severe isolated thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wisconsin. According to NWS, there is also a chance of another round of severe thunderstorms Monday night into Tuesday night.
The weather service said Saturday that the “threat for heavy rain continues for much of the area,” especially along and south of the Minnesota-Iowa border and in southwestern Wisconsin. In some areas, especially in far southeastern Minnesota, “the storms could drop 2 to 4 inches of rain in a very short period of time, which could result in localized flooding and further degrade river levels in the area,” the weather service said.
As of 8:20 a.m., a flood warning remains in effect for most of Mower County and much of Fillmore County. This applies until 11 a.m. today
Also, areas in Dodge, Goodhue, Wabasha and Winona counties – including much of the area along the Mississippi River through those counties – are under a flood warning. All of southeastern Minnesota is under a National Weather Service advisory to be aware of the potential for hazardous weather today.
Area cities and counties have made sandbags available for use by residents and businesses. In Mower County, two locations offer sandbags: the city at 1601 11th Drive NE, and the county at the public works building, 1105 Eighth Ave. NE.
No major roads are flooded in Goodhue County, but some local streets and rural roads are, the Sheriff’s Office said. Many of these roads are marked or barricaded, but people who find a flooded road that is not marked should call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number, 507-385-3155, to report it.
Yesterday, the Goodhue County Board of Commissioners issued an emergency ordinance (a 5 mph speed limit) for boats on the Mississippi River between mile marker 773 and mile marker 807 due to high water levels. The ordinance will remain in effect until the water drops below 11 feet. The current level at Red Wing is 12 feet, but the river is expected to rise to 15 feet within about a week, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data shared by the National Weather Service. Flood stage is 15 feet at Red Wing.
In Dodge County, about 10 to 20 roads remain closed, according to the Sheriff’s Office, but the flooding threat has largely passed. The Zumbro River Dam near Mantorville held strong against the storm and river levels are well below the highway. 57 bridge starting Saturday morning. In Dodge County, people who see flooded roads or other hazards are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number, 507-635-6200.
Areas of southeastern Minnesota received heavy rainfall Friday and Saturday. Here are the 24-hour totals as of the morning of Saturday, June 22, according to the National Weather Service:
* Rochester International Airport, 2.05 inches
* Theilman (Wabasha County), 1.46 inches
* Fillmore County Airport (Preston), 1.32 inches
* Winona Municipal Airport, 1.13 inches
*Elgin, 0.94 inches
* Zumbrota, 0.75 inches
* Albert Lea, 0.75 inches
* Altura, 0.62 inches
* Wabasha, 0.59 inches
*Austin Wastewater Treatment Plant, 0.47 in
* Red wing, 0.30 inches
Mankato has received nearly 3 inches of rain (2.92 inches) in the past 24 hours.
