ST. CROIX RIVER, Minn. – Flooding is hitting towns along the St. Croix River, with Washington County declaring a state of emergency on Friday.
As of Saturday afternoon, the St. Croix River is at just under 80 feet at Stillwater, near what is considered moderate flood stage, as water levels continue to rise. A top is expected on Monday at just over 25 meters.
A minor flood is the price Steve Blake pays for a front-row view of the St. Croix River from his Bayport home.
The water is currently five feet deep in his garage, Blake said.
“It ranges from a couple of inches to a year where we had about six feet in our garage. At that point, I was a little afraid of losing my house,” Blake said.
He is not the only one dealing with high water on Saturday, several neighbors are too. Some have placed orange nets over garage openings to keep floating debris, such as trees, out.
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Blake’s house is protected by a four-foot high flood barrier, but you’ll have to take his word for it, because the house is underwater somewhere.
“We’re meant to flow in and out, they’re built that way and so the water comes and goes. It’s just a matter of cleaning it up. It’s a bit of a nuisance,” Blake said.
Across the border in Hudson, Wisconsin, the Hudson waterfront has been hit by flooding.
“This is probably one of the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Jay Langer.
Langer has owned Ink Factory Tattoos for 26 years. He has been keeping an eye on the advancing water and has been taking photos of it since mid-week.
“I’ve seen worse and that was in 1998,” said Langer.
To make matters worse, Langer said the flooding is not only hurting his business, but nearby businesses as well. It has hurt his foot traffic, he said.
“I just hope none of these buildings collapse,” Langer said.
Langer says he’s just taking it day by day for now and keeping a close eye on the water.
‘It is what it is. You live in the valley, you have to deal with it,” Langer said.
